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DISCOURSE 

DELIVERED BEFORE 

THE NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCiETl 

AT THEIR ANNIVERSARY MEETING, 

6th DECEMBER, 1811. 
BY THE HONOURABLE DE WiTT CLINTON, 

ONE OFT'JE VIc\;PSr'lI1F,'Vr''or l-HESO'IF.tV , 



re] 



In Kjcch. 



NF.n'-YOHK HISTORICAL SOCIETV, 

December 6th, 181 i. 

Resolved, Thdl the thanks of this Society be presented 
to the Homrurable De Wjtt Clinton, for tlie Disconrsr 
delivirec^ this dai/ before Ike Society ; and that the Reverend 
J)octor Miller, Doctor Hosack, and 31r. Thomas Eddy, 
be appointed a Commitlee to express the same, and to request 
a copy for publication. 

Extract from the niiniUes, 

JOHN PINTARD, 

Recording Secretary. 



T-jC^. 



DISCOURSE, kc. 



Mr. President, and 

Gentlemen of, the Historical Socieli/, 

There i« a strong propensity in the human 
mind to trace up our ancestry to as high and as 
remote a source as possible; and if our pride and 
our ambition cannot be gratified by a real state- 
ment of facts, fable is substituted for truth, and 
the imagination is taxed to supply the deficiency. 
This principle of our nature, although liable to 
sreat perversion, and frequently the source of well- 
founded ridicule, may, if rightly directed, become 
the parent of great actions. The origin and pro- 
ore4 of individuals, of families, and of nations, 
constitute Biography and History, two of the most 
interesting departments of human knowledge. Al- 
lied to this principle, springing from tlie same 
causes, and producing the same benign effects is 
that curiosity we feel in tracing the history ot the 
nations which have occupied the same territory 
before us, although not connected with us m any 
other respect. "To abstract the mind from al 
local emotion," says an eminent moralist, wou d 
be impossible if it were endeavoured, and it would 
be foolish if it were possible."* The places where 

* .Johnson's Tour to the HebrWrc 



4a 



great Gvrnl?> liari. breri pi'irruuK d ; Avhere o-reaf 
virtues have been exhibited; where iireat cniiies 
have been perpetrated, will ahvays excite kindred 
emotions of admiration or horro'r : And if " that 
man is little to l)e envied whose patriotism won id 
not gain force !ipnn the plains of 3]arathon, or 
whose piety would not grow warmer among the 
ruins of Jona/' we may, with equal confidence, as- 
sert, that morbid must be his sensibility, and small 
must be his capacity for improvement, who does 
not advance in wisdom and in virtue, from con- 
templating ihe state and the history of the peo- 
ple who occupied thii country before the man of 
Europe. 

As it is, therefore, not uninteresting, and is entire- 
ly suitable to this occasion, I shall present a gene- 
ral geographical, political, and historical view of 
the red m(>n who inhabited this state before us; 
and this I do the more willingly, from a conviction 
that no part of America contained a people which 
will furnish more interesting information and 
more useful instruction; which will display the 
energies of the human character in a more con- 
spicuous manner, whether in liglit or in shade, in 
the exhibition of great virtues and talents, or of 
great vices and defects. 

In 117 A the goverment of Connecticut, in an 
oflicial statement to the British secretary of ^tate 
represented the original title to the land, of Con- 
necticut as in the Pequot Nations of Indian^ who 
were numerous and warlike; that their oreat sa- 
chem Sasacus had under him twentv-six sachem-^ 
and that their territory extended from Narraganset 
to Hudson s Kiver, and over all Long Island.* The 
Long Island Indians, who are represented as very 
savage and ferocious, were called 3Ieilowacks, or 

* CoIIectioasofMassachusetts Historical Society, vol. 7. p. 23]. 



41 

Meitowacks, and the Island itself Meito\vacks.=^ 
The Mobiccons, Maliaton?, or ^lanliatlaiis, occu- 
pied this Island and Platen Island.f The IMobe- 
oans, whose original name was xMiihhekanew, were 
settled on that part of the state east of Hudson's 
River and below Albany, and those Indians on 
the west bank from its mouth to the Kaats' Kill 
mountains, were sonic times denominated Wabin- 
p, and sometimes Sankikani, and thev and the 
MohegansJ went by the general appellation of 
River Indians; or, according to the Dutch, .^lo- 
hickanders. Whether the 3Iohegans were a dis- 
tinct nation from the Pcquots.,^ has been recently 
doubled, although they were formerly so con- 
sidered. One of the early historians asserts, that 
the JVarragansets, a powerful nation in New Eng- 
land, held dominion over part of Long Island^^lJ 
The generic name adopted by the Fren"ch for all 
ihe Indians of JVew England, was Abenaquis ; and 
Ihe country from the head of Cliesapeake bav to 
the Kittatinney mountains, as far eastward as the 
Abenaquis, and as far northward and westward as 
the Iroquois, was occupied by a nation denomina- 
ted by themselves the Lenni-lenopi ; by the French 

"* Smith's History of iS"e\r- York, p. 262. 

f Statei) Island was purchased from the Indians by Col Love- 
face, second governor under the Duke of York, betueen the year^ 
1 667 and 1 673. (Chalmers s Political Annals of the Colonics, p 
■^^n'l ^^ ^^^^'^^ ^"^ different manuscripts in tl)e plantation office 
ca led I\ew-York Entries, .Xew-York Papers, vhich appear to be 
voluminous: If wc could ascertain from those papers the natioa 
that sold Staten Island, it might produce some interesting inferences 

t Jetrerson-s Virginia, p. 310. Collections of IS^ew-York His- 
torical Society, vol. 1. p. 33, 34. Barton's Views of the Ori"in 
of the Indians, p. 31. TrumbulPs History of the United Stare« 
p. 42. ' 

5 Trumbull's History of Connecticut, p. 28. 
^ II Massachusetts Historical Society, vol. 1. p. 144, &c. Daniil 
hookins. 



42 

Loups, and by tbe Englisli Delawares* Mr. 
Charles Thompson, formerly secretary of con- 
jrress, supposed that this nation extended east of 
Iliidson's to Connecticut River, and over Lontr 
Island, this island, and Slaten Island ; and Mr. 
Smith, in his History of New- York, says, that 
when the Dutch commenced the settlement of the 
country, all the Indians on Long Island and the 
northern shore of the Sound, and on the banks of 
Connecticut and Hudson Rivers, were in subjection 
to and paid an annual tril>ute to the Five Nations.f 
Mr. Smith's statement, therefore, does not accord 
with the fact of the tribute paid to the United 
Colonies of New- Engl and, nor with the alleged 
dominion of the Pequots and Narragansets over 
Long Island. New-York was settled before Con- 
iiectTcut, and the supremacy of the Iroquois was 
never disturbed ; and it probably prevailed at one 
lime over Long Island, over the territory as far 
east as Connecticut River, and over the Indians on 
the west banks of the Hudson. The confusion on 
this subject has probably arisen from the same 
language being used by the Delawares and Abena- 
quis, but, indeed, it is not very important to ascer- 
tain to which of these nations the red inhabitants 
of that portion of the state maybe properly re- 
ferred. They, in process of time, became subject 
to the Iroquois, and paid a tribute in wampum and 
sliells.J Their general character and conduct to 
the first Europeans they probably had ever seen, 

"^ Barton's Views, p. 25. JeflTerson's Notes, p. 310, &c. 

t It is certain that the Moiitacket sachem, so called in former 
times, on the east end of Lon^ Island, paid tribute in wampum to 
ilie Confeder!i(ed Colonies of Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connecti- 
licut, and Pscw Haven, for at least ten years previous to 1636. 
Hazard's Collections of State Papers, vol. 2. p. 361. 

t Smith"? History of New-York. Colden's History of the Five 
Xation?. 



have been described in Hudson':^ voyage up tlic 
North River.* And it is not a little remarkal)Ie, 
that the natives below the Highlands were otlen- 
sive and predatory, while those aljove rendered 
him every assistance and hospitality in their power. 
Of all these tribes, about nine or ten laniilies re- 
main on Lono- Island ; their principal settlement is 
on a track of one thousand acres on Montauck 
Point. The Stockbridge Indians migrated from 
Hudson's River, in 1734, to Stockbridge in Massa- 
chusetts, from whence they removed about the 
year 1785 to lands assigned to them by the Oneidas 
in their territory.f The Brothertown Indians for- 
merly resided in Narraganset, in Rhode Island, 
and in Farmington, Stonington, Mohegan, and 
some other towns in Connecticut, and are a rem- 
nant of the Muhhekanew Indians, formerly called 
the Seven Tribes on the Sea Coast. They also 
inhabit lands presented to them by the Oneidas. 
These Indians, and the Stockbridge Indians, aug- 
mented in a small degree by migrations from the 
Long Island Indians, have formed two settlements, 
which by an accurate census taken in 1794, con- 
tained four hundred and fifty souls. But the 
greater part of the Indians below Alljany retreated 
at an early period from the apj)roach of civilized 
man, and became merged in the nations of the 
north and the west. As far back as 1687, just 
after the destruction of the Mohawk Castles by 
the French, Governor Dongan advisedj the Five 
Nations to open a path for all the North Indians 
and IVIohickanders, that were among the Ottawas 
and other nations, and to use every endeavour to 
bring them home. 

* Puichas' Pilgrim, vol. 3. p. 58. New-York Historical Col- 
lections, vol. 1. p. 102. 

t Massachusetls Historical Society, vol. 4. p. 67, cC-c. 

X Coldeu's History of the Five rs'atioiis, vol. 1. p. 83, &c. 



4i 

The remaining, and much the greater part ol 
the state Avas occupied by the Romans of this 
Avestern woild,^ who composed a federal repub- 
lic, and were denominated by the Enolish, the 
Five ^'alion=, the Six Nations, the Confederates: 
by the French, the Iroquois; by the Dutch, the 
?vlaquas, or 31ahakuase; by the'southern Indians, 
the Massawomacs ; by themselves, the Min^os, 
or Minjroians, and sometimes the Aganuschion%r 
United People, and their confederacy they styled 
the Kenunctioni.f 

The dwelling lands of this confederacy were ad- 
mirably adapted for convenience, for subsistence, 
and for conquest. The}- comprize the <rreatest 
body of the mo?t fertile fands in iS'orth America ; 
and they are the most elevated grounds in the 
L nited States, from whence the waters run in every 
direction. The Ohio, the Delaware, the Susque- 
hanna, the Hudson, and the St. Lawrence, almost 
all the great rivers, beside a vei-A^ considerable 
number of secondary ones, oricrinate here, and are 
discharged into the Gulph of :>le5:ico bv the Mis- 
sissippi River, into the Gulph of St. Lawrence, by 
the St. Lawrence River, or into the Atlantic Ocean 
by various channels. Five j^reat inland seas reach 
upward of 2,000 ujiies through a considerable 
part of this territory, and allbid an aliuost uninter- 
rupted navigation to that extent. By these lakes 
and rivers, the confedeiates were enabled, at all 
tinies, and in all directions, to carry w ar and de- 
struction among the surrounding and the most 

* Voloe) 's View of the Uuiied State?, p. 470—476. Coldeu's 
live r^atiocis, vol. 1. p. 4, 5. 

^ f MassachiiJf-ltsHisto.ical Collections, vol. 1. p. ]44,c£'C. Daniel 
Ooohns. Powiiail ou the Colonies, vol. 1. p. 235. Smith's 
Histciy of New-Jmey. p. VM. Mor.e^s G.izetteer, title Six 
rs aliens. J til. i5uij'= Vitj:i.iiH. p. ]40. Sniiiirt History v{ New- 
lojk.. p. 45. ^ 



45 

distant nations. 'And their country also abound- 
witl. other lakes, -ome of ^eat size ; Lake Chaai- 
plain, lorinerly called the Sea of the Iroquois, 
Lake George, the Saratosja, the Oneida, the Cana- 
desa^a or Seneca, the Cayuga, the Ot^ecro ihe 
Skaneatelas, the Canandaiiiiia,'the Cross, the OnoD- 
dajra, the Otisco, the Owa^co, the Crooked, the Ca- 
ne^us the Hemlock, the Honeyoyo, the Chataque, 
the Caniaderaoa, and the Cana^oraga; composing 
in number and extent, with the five sye^l lakes, 
the greatest mass of fresh water to be found in 
the world. In addition to the fertility of the soil, 
we mav mention the mildness of the climate to 
the west of the Onondaga Hills, the salubrity and 
the magnificent scenery of the country. The 
numerous waters were stored with the salmon, the 
trout, the masquinonoes, the white fish, the shad, 
the rock fish, the sturgeon, the perch, and other 
fish of various kinds ;' and the forests abounded 
with an incredible number and variety of game. 
The situation of the inhabitants was rendered 
very eligible from these sources of subsistence, 
connected with a very productive soil ; for they had 
passed over the pastoral state, and followed agri- 
culture as well as fishing and hunting. The selec- 
tion of this country for a habitation, was the wisest 
expedient that could have t^en adopted by a 
niilitarv nation to satiate theu: thirst for slory, 
and to extend their conquests over the continent ; 
and if they preferred the arts of peace, there was 
none hetter calculated for tliis important purpose. 
In a few davs their forces could be seen, their 
power could 'be felt, at the mouth of the Ohio or 
the Missouri, on the waters of the Hudson or 
the St. Lawrence, or in the bays of Delaware or 
Chesapeake. 

r7i 



46 

It is not a little difficult to deline the territorial 
limits of this extraordinary people,* for on this 
subject there are the most repugnant representa- 
tions by the French and Engjlish writers, arising 
from interest, friendsliip, prejudice, and enmity. 
While the French, on the one hand, were involved 
in continual hostility with them, the English, on 
the other hand, were connected by alliance and by 
commerce. By the l5th article of the treaty of 
Utrecht, concluded in 1713, it was stipulated " that 
the subjects of France inhabiting Canada, and 
others, shall hereafter give no hindrance or moles- 
tation to the Five Nations or cantons subject to 
the dominion of Great Britain."! As between 
France and England the confederates were, there- 
fore, to be considered as the subjects of the latter, 
and ©f course the British dominion was co-exten- 
sive with the rightful territory of the tive cantons, 
it then became the policy of France to diminish, 
and that of England to enlarge this territory. But 
notwithstanding the confusion which has grown 
out of these clashing interests and contradictory 
representations, it is not perhaps very far from the 
truth to pronounce, that the Five Nations w ere en- 
titled by patrimony or conquest to all the territory 
in the United States and in Canada, not occupied 
by the Creeks, the Cherokees, and the other south- 
ern Indians, by the Sioux, the Kinisteneaux, and 
the Chippewas ; and by the English and French, 
as far west as the Mississippi and lake Winnipeg, 
as far northwest as the waters wliich unite this 
lake and Hudson's Bay, and as far north as Hud- 

* Rogers' Concise Account of JN'orth America, p. 0. Coldeo, 
vol. 1. p. 87. Powiiall on the Colonics, vol. 1. p. 235, &c. 
Smith's NeAv-York, p. 58. 179, &c. Douglass' Summaij, p. 11, 
&c. Pownall's Geographical Desciiption, &c. Charlevoix Histoire 
Generale de la IVouvelle France, Szc. 

\ Chalmeis' C«llection of Treaties, vol. 1. p. 382, 



4r» 
.1 



.son's Bay and Labrador. The Five Nations claim 
says Smith, " all the land not sold to the English 
from the month of Sorel River, on the sonth side 
of Lakes Erie and Ontario, on both sides ot the 
Ohio, till it falls into the Mississippi ^ and on the 
north side of these lakes, that whole territory be- 
tween the Outawas River and Lake Huron and 
even beyond the streiohts between that and Lake 
Erie" 'The principal point ot dispute between 
the Eno-lish and French was, whether the donnnion 
of the confederates extended north of the Great 
Lakes; but I think it is evident that it did. It is 
admitted by several French writers, that the lro_ 
quois had several villages on the north side ot 
Lake Ontario, and they are even laid down m the 
maps attached to Charlevoix, and it cannot be de- 
nied but that they subdued the Hurons and Ab 
oonkins, who lived on that side of the breat 
Lakes, and consequently were entitled to then 
country by the rights of conquest. Douglass esti- 
mates their territory at about twelve hundred miles 
in length, from north to south, and from seven to 
eicrht hundred miles in breadth. 1 his was either 
hereditary or conquered. Their patrimonial, and 
part of their conquered country, were used tor the 
purpose of habitation and hunting. Their bunting 
grounds were very extensive, including a large 
triano-le on the southeast side of the fet. Lawrence 
Rive?; the country lying on the south and east sides 
of Lake Erie; the country between the Lakes 
Erie and Michigan, and the country lymg on the 
north of Lake Erie, and northwest ot Lake Un- 
tario, and between the Lakes Ontario and Huron 
All the remaining part of their territory was inha^ 
bited by the Abenaquis, Algonkins, Shawanese, 
Delawares, Illinois, Miamies, and other vassa,. 
nations. 



48 

The acquisition of supremac}^ over a countiy oC 
such an^aziLg extent and fertility, inhabited by 
warJike and numerous nations, must have been 
the result of unity of desiii;n and system of actioR 
proceeding from a wise and energetic policy, con- 
tinued for a long course of time. To their social 
combinatioiis, military talents, and exterior ar- 
rangements, we must look for this system, if such 
a system is to be found. 

The Confederates had proceeded far beyond 
the first element of all associations, that of com- 
bination into families; they had their villages, 
their tribes, their nations, and their confederacy; 
but they had not advanced beyond the first stage 
of government. They were destitute of an ex- 
ecutive and judiciary to execute the determina- 
tions of their councils ; and their government 
was therefore merely advisory, and without a 
coercive principle. The respect which was paid 
to their chiefs, and the general odium that attach- 
ed to disobedience, rendered the decisions of their 
legislatures, for a long series of time, of as much 
validity as if they had been enforced by an ex- 
ecutive arm. 

They were originally divided into five nations, 
the Mohawks, the Oneidas, the Onondagas, the 
Cay ugas, and the ^enekas. In 1 7 1 2, the Tuscaroras, 
who lived on the back parts of North Carolina^ 
and who had formed a deep and general conspiracy 
to exterminate the whites, were driven from their 
country, were adopted by the Iroquois as a sixth 
nation, and lived on lands between the Oneidas 
and Onondagas, assigned to them by the former.* 

7'l.e Mohawks had four towns and one small vil- 
lage, situated on or near the fei tile banks of the 
river of that name. The position of the first was 

* Smith's JN^ew-York, p. 40, Douglass' Snraniary, p. 24v}. 



49 

at the confluence of the Scholiarie Creek and Mo- 
ha»vk River, and the others were farther to the 
west. This nation, from their propinquity to the 
settlements of the whites, from their martial re- 
nown and military spirit, have, like Holland, fre- 
quently given their name to the whole confede- 
racy, which is often denominated the Mohawks in 
the annals of those days ; and it may be found 
employed in the pages of a celebrated periodical 
writer of Great Britain, for the purpose of the 
most exquisite humour.* This nation was always 
held in the greatest veneration by its associates. 
At the important treaty of 1768, at Fort Stanwix, 
by Sir William Johnson, they were declared by 
the other nations " the true old lieads of the con- 
federacy."t The Oneidas had their principal seat 
on the south of the Oneida Lake, the Onondagas 
near the Onondaga, and the Cayugas near the 
CaVuga Lake. The principal village of the Se- 
necas was near the Genesee River, about twenty 
miles from Irondequoit Bay. Eacti nation was di- 
vided into three tribes ; the Tortoise, the Bear, and 
the Wolf; and each village was, like the cities of 
the United Netherlands, a distinct republic, and 
its concerns were managed by its particular 
chiefs.J Their exterior relations, general inte- 
rests, and national atTairs, were conducted and su- 
perintended by a grc'at council, assembled annu- 
ally in Onondaga, tlic central canton, composed 
of the chiefs of each republic; and eighty sachems 
were fiequently convened at this national assem- 
bly. It took cognizance of the great questions 

* Spectator. 

t The proceedings of this treaty were never publishecl I fiave 
seen them in manuscript, in the possession of the late Vice Pre^- 
dent Clinton. 

t See Charlevoix, Colden, At. 



<>i" war and peace; of the affairs of the tributary 
nations, and of their neooliations with the French 
and Er.oiish colonies. All their proceedings were 
conducted with great deliberation, and were dis- 
tinguished for order, decorum, and solemnity. In 
eloquence, in dignity, and in all the characteristics 
of profoimd policy, they surpassed an assembly of 
feudal barons, and were perhaps not far inferior to 
the great Aoiphyctionic Council of Greece. Br. 
liobertson, who has evinced, in almost every in- 
stance, a strong propensity to degrade America be- 
low its just rank in the scale of creation, was com- 
pelled to qualify the generality of his censures m 
relation to its political institutions, by saying, 
" If we except the celebrated league which united 
the Five Nations in Canada into a federal repub- 
lic, we can discern few such traces of political 
wisdom among the rude American tribes as dis- 
cover any great degree of foresight or extent of in- 
tellectual abilities."* 

A distinguished feature in the character of the 
confederates, was an exalted spirit of liberty, which 
revolted with equal indignation at domestic or fo- 
reign controul. "We are born free, (said Garan- 
gula in his admirable speech to the governor gene- 
ral of Canada) we neither depend on Ononthio, or 
Corlear,"t ^^ France, or on England. Baron La- 
hontan, w^io openly avov»^ed his utter detestation 
and abhorrence of them, is candid enough to ac- 
knowledge, that " they laugh at the menaces of 
kings and governors, for they have no idea of de- 
pendence; nay, the very word is to them insup- 
portable. They look upon themselves as sove- 
reigns, accountable to none but God alone, whom 

* Robertson's America, vol. 1. p. 435. 

t See this speech in Appondis No I ; taken from Smith'-. 
History ofA^'^-.v York 



51 

they call the Great Spirit." They admitted of no 
hereditary distinctions. The ofiice of sachem was 
the reward of personal merit ; of great wisdom, or 
commandina" eloquence ; of distinguished services 
in the caiinet or in the field. It was conferred by 
silent and general consent, as the spontaneous tri- 
bute due to eminent worth ; and it could only be 
niaintained by the steady and faithful cultivation 
of the virtues and accomplishments which procur- 
ed it. No personal slavery was permitted :* their 
captives were either killed or adopted as a portion 
of the nation. The children of the chiefs were en- 
couraged to emulate the virtues of their sires, and 
were frequently elevated to the dignities occupied 
by their progenitors. From this source has arisen 
an important error with respect to the establish- 
ment of privileged orders among the Confederates. 
There is a striking similitude between the Ro- 
mans and the Confederates, not only in their mar- 
tial spirit and rage for conquest, but in their treat- 
ment of the conquered. Like the Romans, they 
not only adopted individuals, but incorporated 
the remnant of their vanquished enemies into 
their nation, by which they continually recruited 
their population, exhausted by endless and w asting 
wars, and were enabled to continue their career of 
victory and desolation: if their unhappy victims 
hesitated or refused, they were compelled to accept 
of the honours of adoption. The Hurons of the 
Island of Orleans, in 1656, knowing no other wav 
to save themselves from destruction, solicited ad- 
mission into the canton of the Mohawks, and were 
accepted ; but, at the instance of the French, they 
declined their own proposal. On this occasion the 
Mohawks continued their ravages, and compelled 
acquiescence : they sent thirty of their warriors to 

* Colden, vol. 1. p. 11. 



52 

Q,iiebec, who took them away, with the consent of 
the governor general ; he, in fact, not daring to re- 
fuse, after having addressed him in the following 
terms of proud defiance; which cannot but bring 
to our recollection similar instances of Roman 
spirit, when Rome was free.* " Lift up thy arm, 
Ononthio, and allow thy children, whom thou 
boldest pressed to thy bosom, to depart ; for if 
they are guilty of any imprudence, have reason to 
dread, lest in coming to chastise them, my blows 
fall on thy head." Like the Romans, also, they 
treated their vassal nations with extreme rigour. 
If there were any delay in the render of the annu- 
al tribute, military execution followed, and the 
wretched(delinquents frequently took refuge in the 
houses of the English to escape from destruction. 
On all public occasions they took care to demon- 
strate their superiority and dominion, and at all 
times they called their vassals to an awful account, 
if guilty of violating the injunctions of the great 
council. At a treaty held on tlie forks of the 
Delaware, in 1758, by the governors of Pennsyl- 
vania and New Jersey, with the Six Nations, several 
claims of the Munseys, Wapings, and other De- 
laware Indians, for lands in the latter province, were 
adjusted and satisfied under the cognizance of the 
Confederates, who ordered them to deliver up their 
prisoners, and to be at peace with the English, and 
who assumed a dictatorial tone, and appeared to ex- 
ercise absolute auti ority over the other Indians.f 
At a former conference on this subject, a Munsey, 
or Minisink Indian had spoken sitting, not being 
allowed to stand, until a Cayuga Chief had spoken ; 
when the latter, thus expressed himself, " I, who 

* Heriot's Hisloiy of Canada, p. 79 {This work is a compUa- 
€on principally from Charlevoix.) 
■\ Sraitli's New- Jersey, 4G6, &c. 



53 

am tlie Mina,oiaii, am by this belt to inform you 
that the IMunseys are women, and cannot hold trea- 
ties for themselves; therefore I am sent to inform 
you, that the invitation you gave the Munseys is 
agreeable to us, tlie Six Nations." 

At a treaty held at Lancaster in 1742, by thfe 
government of Pennsylvania with the Iroquois, the 
governor complained of the Dela wares, who refus- 
ed to remove from some lands which they had sold 
on the River Delaware.* On this occasion a great 
chief called Cannassafccgooy after severely repri- 
manding them, and ordering them to depart from 
the land immediately to Wyoming or Shamokin, 
concluded in the following manner: " After our 
/|ust reproof and absolute order to depart from thft 
l^nd, you are now to take notice of what we have 
further to say to you. This string of wampum 
serves to forbid you, yom- children, and grand chil- 
dren, to the latest posterity, from ever meddling in 
land affairs ; neither you, nor any who shall des- 
cend from you, are ever hereafter to sell any land. 
For this purpose you are to preserve this string, in 
memory of what your uncles have this day given 
you in charge. We have some other business to 
transact with our brethren, and therefore depart 
the council, and consider what has been said to 
you." The Confederates had captured a great part 
of the Shawanese Nation who lived on the Wabash, 
but afterward, by the mediation of Mr. Penn, at 
the first settlement of Pennsylvania, gave them li- 
berty to settle in the western parts of that province; 
but obliged them, as a badge of their cowardice, 
to wear female attire for a long time : and some 
nations, as low down as 1T69, were not permitted 
to appear ornamented with paintf at any general 

>■ Golden, vol. 1. p. 31. 

t Roger's Coacise Account, &c. p. 209, &c. 

[8] 



54 

tneeliiig or congress, where tbe tori federates at- 
tended ; that being an express article in their capi- 
tulations.* This humiliation of the tributary na- 
tions was, however, tempered with a paternal re- 
gard for their interests in all negotiations with the 
whites ; and care was taken that no trespasser 
should be committed on their rights, and that they 
should be justly dealt with h) all their concerns. 

War was the favourite pursuit of this martial 
people, and military glory their ruling passion. 
Agriculture, and tlie laborious drudgery of domes- 
tic life were left to the women. Tlie e'ducation of 
the savage was solely directed to hunting and war. 
From his early infancy, he was taught to bend the 
bow, to point the arrow, to hurl the tomahawk, 
and to wield the club. He was instructed to pur- 
sue the foosteps of his enemies through the path- 
less and unexplored forest ; to mark the most distant 
indications of danger ; to trace his way by the ap- 
pearances of the trees, and by the stars of heaven, 
and to endure fatigue, and cold, and famine, and 
every privation. He commenced his career of 
blood by hunting the wild beasts of the woods, and 
after learning the dexterous use of the weapons of 
destruction, he lifted his sanguinary arm against 
his fellow creatures. The profession of a warrior 
was consideied the most illustrious pursuit ; their 
youth looked forward to the time, when they could 
march against an enemy, with all the avidity of an 
epicure for the sumptuous dainties of a Helioga- 
balus. And this martial ardor was continually 
thwarting the pacific counsels of the elders, and en- 
thralling them in perpetual and devastating wars. 
V\ ith savages in general, this ferocious propensity 

* This is the Shawanese nation of Indians, uho, under the 
auspices of their prophet, have lately had an engagement vilh the 
army under the command of governor Harrison. 



55 

was impelled by a blind fury, and was but little 
reiirula'ted by the dictates of skill andjud^mient; on 
the contrary, with the Iroquois, war was an art. 
All their niilitary movements were governed by 
svstem and policy. They never attacked a hostile 
country, until tliey had sent out spies to explore 
and to'designate its vulnerable points, and when- 
ever they encamped, they observed the greatest 
circumspection to guard against surprize; whereas 
the other savages only sent out scouts to reconnoi-^ 
tre ; but they never went far from the camp, and it 
they returned without perceiving any signs of an 
enemv, the whole band went quietly to sleep, and 
were often the victims of their rash confidence.* ^ 

Whatever superiority of force the Iroquois 
might have, they never neglected the use of stra- 
tagems ; they employed all the crafty wiles of the 
Carthaginians. The cunning of the fox, the fero- 
city of the tiger, and the power of the lion, were 
united in their conduct. They preferred to van- 
quish their enemy by taking him off his guard; by 
involvino- him in an ambuscade ; by falling upon 
him in the hour of sleep: but when emergencies 
rendered it necessary for them to face him in the 
open field of battle, they exhibited a courage and 
contempt of death which have never been sur- 
passed. ^1, . n 

Although we have no reason to believe that tliey 
were, generally speaking. Anthropophagi, yet we 
have no doubt but that they sometimes eat the 
bodies of their enemies killed in battle, more indeed 
for the purpose of exciting their ferocious fury 
^han for gratifying their appetite ; like all other 
savage nations, they delighted in cruelty. 1 o inr 
flict the most exquisite torture upon their captive,^ 
to produce his death by the most severe and pro- 

* rftWen, vo>. 1. p. 1 10. Hertot. p. 1^ 



m 

tracted sulierings, was sanctioned by oenerai and 
immemorial usage. Herodotus informs us, that the 
Scythians (who were, in all probability, the ances- 
tors of the greater part of t>ur red men,) drank the 
blood of their CHemies, and suspended their scalps 
from the bridle of their horses, for a napkin and a 
trophy ; that they used their sculls for drinking 
vessels, and their skins as a covering to their hor- 
ses.* In the war between the Carthaginians and 
their mercenaries, Gisco, a Carthaginian general, 
and seven himdred prisoners, according to Polybi- 
us, were sca][)ed alive ; and in return, Spendius, a 
general of the mercenaries, was crucified, and the 
prisoners taken in the war thrown alive to the ele- 
phants.f From these celebrated nations we may 
derive the practice of scalping, so abhorrent to hu- 
manity ; and it is not improbable, considering the 
maritime skill and distant voyages of thB Phoeni- 
cians and Carthaginians, that America derives part 
of its population from that source by water, as it 
undoubtedly has from the northeast parts of Asia 
by land, with the exception of a narrow strait. 

But the Five Nations, notwithstanding their 
horrible cruelty, are in one respect entitled to sin- 
gular conmiendation for the exercise of humanity : 
those enemies they spared in battle they made free ; 
whereas, with all other barbarous nations, slavery 
was the commutation of death. But it becomes 
not us, if we value the cliaracters of our forefa- 
thers ; it becomes not the civilized nations of Europe 
who have had American possessions, to inveigh 
against the merciless conduct of the savage. His 
appetite for blood was sharpened and whetted by 
European instigation, and his cupidity was enlisted 
on the side of cruelty by every temptation. In the 

* Beloe's Herodotus, vol. 2. p. 419. 
t Poljbius, b. 1 . chap. 6. 



57 

wars between France and England and tlieir colo- 
nies, their Indian allies were entitled to a premium 
for every scalp of an enemy. In the war preced- 
ing 170.S, the government of Massachusetts gave 
twelve pounds for every Indian scalp ; in that 
year tiie premium was raised lo forty pounds, but 
in 1722 it was augmented to one hundred pounds.* 
An act was passed on the 25th Fcbuary, 1745, by 
f)ur colonial legislature, entitled " An act for 
giving a reward for such scalps and prisoners as 
shall be taken by the inhabitants of (or Indians in 
alliance with) this colony, and to prevent the in- 
habitants of the city and county of Albany from 
selling rum to the Indians."! l" 1746, the scalps 
of two Frenchmen were presented to one of our 
colonial governors at Albany, b}^ three of the con- 
federate Indians ; and his excellency, after gratify- 
ing them with money and fine clothes, assured them 
Ijow well he took this special mark of their fidelity, 
and that he would always remember this act of 
friendship.J The employment of savages, and put- 
ting into their hands the scalping knife during our 
revolutionary war, were oj)enly justified in the 
House of Lords by Lord Suiiblk, the British Secre- 
tary of State, who vindicated its policy and neces- 
sity, and declared " that the measure was also 
allowable on principle ; for that it was perfectly 
justifiable to use all the means that God and nature 
had put into their hands."ij The eloquent rebuke 
of Lord Chatham has perpetuated the sentiment, 
and consigned its author to immortal infamy. It 
were to be wished, for the honour of human nature^ 

* Douglass' Summary, p. 199, 586. Holiues' American Anna!?. 
vol. 2. p. 1 1 G. 

t Jouruals of Colonial AssembW. vo^ I. p. Q^, 
i Golden, vol. 2. p, 120 
§ Belsham. 



m 

tiiat an impenetrable veil could be draw« over 
these horrid scenes ; but, alas ! they are committed 
to the imperishable pajjes of history, and they are 
already recorded with the conflagrations of Smith- 
field, the massacres of St. Bartholomew, and the 
cannibal barbarities of the French revolution. 

The conquests and military achievements of the 
Iroquois were commensurate with their martial ar- 
dour, their thirst for i!;lory, their o;reat courage, 
their invincible perseverance, and their political 
talents. Their military excursions were extended 
as far north as Hudson's Bay. The Mississippi 
did not form their western limits ; their power was 
felt in the most southern and eastern extremities 
of the United States. Their wars have been sup- 
posed, by one writer, to have been carried near to 
the Isthmus of Darien.* And Cotton Mather, in 
his Magnalia, which was probably written in 1698, 
describes them as terrible cannibals to the west- 
ward, who have destroyed no less than two millions 
of other savages, f 

The ostensible causes of war among the Indians, 
were like many of those among civilized nations ; 
controversies about limits, violations of the rights 
of embassy, individual or national wrongs ; And 
the real and latent reasons were generally the same ; 
the enlargement of territory, the extension of do- 
minion, the gratification of cupidity, and the ac- 
quisition of glory. According to a late traveller, 
a war has existed for two centuries between the 
Sioux and the Chippewas.J For an infraction of 
the rights of the calumet, the confederates carried 
on a war of thirty years against the Choctaws.^ 

* Rogers's America, p. 2C9. 

t Ibid. p. 728. 

I Pike's Expedition to the Sources of the xMississ'ppK Sic. p. 64. 

§ Smith's New- York, p. 52. 



59 

For a violation of the game laws of the bunting 
nations, in not leaving a certain number of male 
and female beavers in each pond, they subdued 
and nearly destroyed the Illinois ;* and they ap- 
peared to have accurate notions of the rights of 
belligerents over contraband articles; for they con- 
sidered all military implements carried to an enemy 
as liable to seizure ; but they went farther, and, 
conceiving this conduct a just ground of war, treat- 
ed the persons supplying tlieir enemies, as enemies, 
and devoted them to death. But tlie commerce in 
furs and peltries, j)roduced by their intercourse with 
the Europeans, introduced a prolific source of con- 
tention among them, and operated like opening the 
box of Pandora. Those articles were eagerly 
sought after by the whites, and the red men were 
equally desirous of possessing iron, arms, useful 
tools, cloths, and the other accommodations of ci- 
vilized life. Before the arrival of the Europeans, 
furs were only esteemed for their use as clothing ; 
but when the demand increased, and an exchange 
of valuable articles took place, it became extreme- 
ly important to occupy the most productive hunt- 
ing grounds, and to monopolize the best and the 
most furs. And it was sometimes the policy of 
the French to divert the attacks of the Iroquois 
from the nations with whom they traded, by insti- 
oating them to hostilities aijainst the Southern 
Indians friendly to the English colonies; and at 
other times they excited wars between their north- 
ern allies and the Iroquois, in order to prevent the 
former from trading with the English, which they 
preferred, because they could get their goods cheap- 
er. On the other hand, the English entangled the 
confederates in all their hostilities with the French 
and their Indian allies. The commerce in furs and 

* See Garangula's Speech in Appendix, No. 1. 



60 

peltri^ was deemed so valuabie, that no exertion- 
or expense was spared in order to effect a monopoly. 
The floods of tlje English were so eagerly souoht 
after by the Indians, and so much preferred to those 
of the French, that the latter were compelled to 
procure them from the colony of New- York; from 
whence they were conveyed to Montreal, and dis- 
tiibuted amon<ij the savages. It was then evident, 
that the English had it in their power, not only to 
imdersell the French, but by a total interdiction of 
those supplies, to expel them from the trade. The 
enlightened policy of Gov. Burnet dictated the most 
energetic step, and a colonial law was passed for the 
purpose.* He also established trading houses, and 
erected a fort at Oswego, at the entrance of Onon- 
daga river into Lake Ontario. This position was 
judiciously selected, not only on account of its 
water communication with a great part of the Iro- 
quois territory, but for the facility with which 
articles could be transported to and from Schenec- 
tady ; there being but three portages in the whole 
route, two of which were very short. It had 
another decided advantage. The Indian naviga- 
tion of the lakes being in canoes, is necessarily 
along the coast. The southern side of Lake Ontario 
affording a much more secure route than the 
northern, all the Indians who came from the great 
lakes, would, on their way to Canada, have to pass 
close by the English establishment, where theV 
could be supplied at a cheaper rate, and at a less 
distance, Oswego then became one great empo- 
rium of the fur trade; and its ruins now proclaim 
the vestiges of its former prosperity. The Frencli 
perceived all the consequences of those measures, 
and they immediately rebuilt the fort at Niagara, 

* Coldeii's Five Nations, vol. 1. p. 95. Smith's Ne^v•yo^k. 
p. 224, &c. Heniot's Cadada, p. 174. 



61 

in order that they miorht have a commercial estab^ 
lishment two hundred miles nearer to the western 
Indians than that at Oswetro. Having previously 
occupied the mouth of the Lake Ontario by Fort 
Frontenac, the fort at Niaoara now gave them a 
decided advantage in point of position. The act 
passed by Gov. Burnet's recommendation was, un- 
der the influence of a pernicious policy, repealed 
by the British king. The Iroquois had adopted a 
determined resolution to exterminate the French. 
" Above these thirty years," says La Hontan, " their 
ancient counsellors have still remonstrated to the 
warriors^ of the Five Nations, that it was expedient 
to cut off all the savage nations of Canada, in order 
to ruin the commerce of the French, and after that 
to dislodge them from the continent. With this 
view they have carried the war above four or five 
hundred leagues off their country, after the de- 
stroying of several different nations."* Charle- 
voix was impressed with the same opinion : " The 
Iroquois," says he, " are desirous of exercising a 
species of domination over the whole of this great 
continent, and to render themselves the sole masters 
of its commerce."! Finding the auxiliary efforts 
of the English rendered abortive, their rage and 
fury increased, and the terror of their arms was ex- 
tended accordingly. At a siibsequent period, they 
appeared to entertain different and more enlighten- 
ed views on this subject. They duly appreciated 
the policy of averting the total destruction of 
either European power ; and several instances 
could be pointed out, by which it could be demon- 
strated that the balance of power, formerly the 
subject of so much speculation among the states- 

* Vol. 1. p. 270. 

f Cliarlevoix's Histoire Geaerale de la Nouvelle France, vol- 
l.b. 11. p. 487. 

[9] 



62 

men of Europe, was lljorougbly understood bj 
the Confederates in their negotiations and inter- 
course with the F'rench and English colonies. 

To describe tlie military enterprises of this 
people, would be to delineate the progress of a tor- 
nado or an earthquake.* 

" WMe-wasting Death, up to the ribs in blood, « ith giant stroke 
widowM the DalioMs."'|- 

destruction followed their footsteps, and whole 
nations subdued, exterminated, rendered tributary, 
expelled from their country, or mersed in their 
conquerors, declare the superiority and the terror 
of their arms. When Champlain arrived in Cana- 
da, in 1603, he found them at war with the Hurons 
and Algonkins. He took part and headed three 
expeditions against them; in two of which he was 
successful, but in the last he was repulsed. This 
unjust, and impolitic interference, laid the founda- 
tion of contirmal wars between the French and 
the Confederates. The Dutch, on the contrary, 
entered into an alliance with them on their first 
settlement of the country, which continued without 
interruption ; and on the surrender of New \ ork 
to the English in 1664, Carteret, one of the com- 
missioners, was sent to subdue the Dutch at Fort 
Orange, now Albany; which having effected, he 
had a Conference w ith the confederates, and en- 
tered into a league of friendship; which continued 
Avithout violation on either part.J 

* For tlie military exploits of the Iroquois, generally speaking, 
see Dp la Potheire, La iloiitan, Charlevoix, Golden, Smith, and 
Herriot. 

t Cumberland's BaUle of Hastings. 

i Golden, vol. 1. p. 34. Smith's New- York, p. 3. 31. Doug- 
lass's Summary, vol. 2. p. 243. 



63 

The conquests of the Iroquois, previous to 
tlie disco veiy of America, are only known to lis 
throui^h the imperfect channels of tradition ; but it 
is well authenticated, that sit5ce that, memorable 
era, they exterminated the nation of the Eries or 
Erigas, on the south side of Lake Erie, which has 
ojiven a name to that lake. They nearly extirpated 
the Andastez and the Chouanon's ; tliey conquered 
the Hurons, and drove them and their allies, the 
Ottawas, among the Sioux, on the head waters of 
the Mississippi, " where they separated themselves 
into bands, and proclaimed', wherever they went, 
the terror of the Iroquois."* They also subdued 
the Illinois, the Miamies, the Algonkins, the J)ela- 
wares, the Shawanese, and several tribes of the 
Abenaquis. After the Iroquois had defeated the 
Hurons, in a dreadful battle fought near Quebec, 
the Neperceneans, who lived upon the St. Law- 
rence, fled to Hudson's Bay to avoid their fury. 
In 1649 they destroyed two Huron villages, and 
dispersed the nation ; and afterward they destroy- 
ed another village of six hundred families. Tw^o 
villages presented themselves to the Confederates, 
and lived with them. " The dread of the Iro- 
quois," says the historian, " had such an effect up-^ 
on all the other nations, that the borders of the 
river Ontaouis, which were long thickly peopled, 
became almost deserted, without its ever being 
known what became of the greater part of the in- 
babitants."t The Illinois fled to the westward, af- 
ter being attacked by the Confederates, and did not 
leturn until a general peace ; and were permitted in 
JTCO, by the C^onfederates, to settle in the country 
between the Wabash and the Scioto rivers.J The 

* Herriot, p. 77. 
t Herriot, p. 70. 

X PownalPs Topogra hical Description of such Parts of Norlli 
America a« are described in Evan's Map. 1776, p. 4_'. 



banks of Lake Superior were lined with Algonkins, 
who souijht an asyluni from the Five Nations ; they 
also harassed all the northern Indians, as far as 
Hudson's Ba.Y, and they even attacked the nations 
on the Missouri. When La Salle was amono; the 
Natchez, in 1683, he saw a party of that people, 
who had been on an expedition a2:ainst the Iro- 
quois.* Smith, the founder of Virginia, in an 
expedition up the bay of Chesapeak, in 1608, met 
a war party of the Confederates, then going to at- 
tack their enemies.f They were at peace vvith the 
Cowetas or Creeks, but they warred against the 
Cataw.bas, the Cherokees, and almost all the south- 
ern Indians.J The two former sent deputies to 
Albany, where they effected a peace through the 
mediation of the English. In a word, the Confede- 
rates were, Avith a few exceptions, the conquerors 
and masters of all the Indian nations east of the- 
Mississippi. Such was the terror of the nations, that 
when a single Mohawk appeared on the hills of 
New England, the fearful spectacle spread pain and 
terroi, and flight was the only refuge from death.^ 
CharleToix mentions a singular instance of this 
terrific ascendency : Ten or twelve Ottawas, being 
pursued by a partj of Iroquois, endeavoured to 
pass over to Goat Island, on the Niagara river, 
in a canoe; they were swept down the cataract; 
and, as it appeared, preferred to the sword of their 
enemies. II 

-The vast immeasurable abyss, 



Outraseons as a sea, dark, wasteful, wild, 
Up from the bottom tura'd.** 

* Tontis' acconnt of De la Salle'slast Expedition. Printed in 
LondoD from the French in 1698, p. 112. 
j Jefferson's Notes, 310, &c. 
i Adair's History of the Indians. 
§ Coldcn, vol. 1. p. .3. 
II Charlevoix, vol. 3. let. 15. p. 234. 
'* Milton's Paradise Lost, b. 7. 



65 

In consequence of their sovereignty over the 
other nations, the Confederates exercised a propri- 
etary right in their lands. Tn 1742 they granted 
to the province of Pennsylvania certain lands on 
the west side of the Susquehannah, having formerly 
dt»ne so on the east side.* In 1744 they released 
to Maryland and Virginia certain lands claimed 
by them in those colonies ; and they declared at this 
treaty, that they had conquered 'the several na- 
tions living on the Susquehannah and Patowmac 
rivers, and on the back of the Great Mountains in 
Virginia.! In 1754, a number of the inhabitants 
of Connecticut purchased of them a large tract of 
land west of the river Delaware, and from thence 
spreading over the east and west branches of the 
Susquehannah River.J In 1768 they gave a deed 
to William Trent and others, for land between the 
Ohio and Monongaliela. They claimed and sold 
the land on the north side of Kentucky river.^ In 
1768, at a treaty held at Fort Stanwix with Sir 
William Johnson, the line of property, as it was 
commonly deno?ninated, was settled, marking out 
the boundary between the English colonies and 
the territory of the Confederates.!! 

The vicinity of the Confederates was fortunate 
for the colony of New Vork. They served as an 
effectual shield against the hostile incursions of 
the French, and their savage allies. Their war 
with the French began with Champlain, and con- 
tinued, with few intervals, until the treaty of 
Utrecht, which confirmed the surrender of Canada, 
Nova Scotia, and Acadia, to Great Britain. For 

* Coldeo, vol. 2. p. 20. 

■}• Massachusetts Historical Collections, vol. 7. p. 171, &c. 

X Massachusetts Aistorical Collections, vol. 7. p. 231. 

§ Holmes' Annals, vol. 2. p. 287. Jefferson's jN'otes, p. 290. 

i! Jefferson's Notes, p. 296. 



66 

near a cendny and a half they maintained a war 
against the French possessions in Lonisiana and 
Canada, sometimes aione, and sometinies in con- 
junction with the En2,Iish colonies. During this 
eventful period, they often maintained a proud 
superiority ; always an lionourable resistance ; and 
no vicissitude of fortune, or visitation of calamity, 
could ever compel them to descend from the ele- 
vated ground which they occupied in their own 
estimation, and in ihe opinion of the nations. 
Their expeditions into Canada were frequent: 
wiierever, they marched terror and desolation 
composed their train. 

" And Vcno;paiice, sfiidipo; from his grisly HeOj 
With fellimpatience grinds his iron teeth ; 
And IvlifS'^acre, urichidderi, cloys his faraiue. 
And quaffs the blood of oalions."* 

In 1683, M. Delabarre, the governor general of 
Canada, marched with an army against the cantons. 
He landed near Oswego, but finding himself in- 
competent to meet the enemy, he instituted a ne- 
gotiation, and demanded a conference. On this 
occasion, Garangula, an Onondaga chief, attended 
in behalf of his country, and made the celebrated 
reply to M. Delabarre, which I shall presently no- 
tice. The French retired from the country with 
disgrace. The second general expedition was un- 
dertaken in 1687, by M. Denonville, governor ge- 
neral. He had treacherously seized several of their 
chiefs, and sent them to the gallies in France. He 
was at the head of an army exceeding two thousand 
men. He landed in Irondequoit Bay, and when 
near a village of the Senecas, was attacked by five 
hundred, and would have been defeated, if liis In- 

* Glover's Baodicea, 



67 

dian allies had not rallied and repulsed the enemy. 
After destroyintr some provisions, and burning some 
villages, he retired without any acquisition of lau- 
rels. The place on which this battle was fought, 
has been within a few years owned by Judge 
Portei', of Grand Niagara. On ploughing the land, 
three hundred hatchets, and upward of three thou- 
sand pounds of old iron were found, being more 
than sufficient to defray the expense of clearing it. 
The Confederates, in a year's time, compelled 
their enemies to make peace, and to restore their 
chiefs. It was with the French the only escape 
from destruction. Great bodies of the Confederates 
threatened ^Montreal, and their canoes covered the 
Great Lakes. They shut up the French in forts, 
and would have conc|ueied the whole of Canada, 
if they had understood the art of attacking forti- 
fied places. This peace was soon disturbed by 
the artifices of Kondiaronk, a Huion chief; and 
the Iroquois made an irruption on the Island of 
Montreal with one thousand two hundred men, 
destroying every thing before them. 

The third and last grand expedition against 
the Confederates, was undertaken in 1697, by the 
Count De Frontenac ; the ablest and bravest go- 
v^ernor that the French ever had in Canada. Ho 
landed at Oswego, with a powerful force, and 
marched to the Onondaga Lake ; he found their 
principal village burnt and abandoned. He sent 
seven hundred men to destroy the Oneida castle, 
who took a few prisoners. An Onondaga chief, 
upward of one hundred years old, was ca[)tured 
in the woods, and abandoned to the fury of the 
French savages. After sustaining tlie n^ost horrid 
tortures, with more than stoical fortitude, ilic on]\' 
complaint he was heard to utter was, when one of 
them, actuated by conjpassion, or probably by iaf;e, 
stabbed him repeated! v with a knife, in oidw to 



68 

put a speedy end to his existence, " Thou ought 
not," said be, " to abrid^^e my life, that thou mis^ht 
have time to learn to die like a man. For my 
own part, I die contented, because I know no mean- 
ness witli which to reproach myself." After this 
traojedy, the Count thousjht it prudent to retire 
with his army ; and he probably would have fallen 
a victim to his temerity, if the Senecas had not 
been kept at home, from a false report, that they 
were to be attacked at the same time by the Otta- 
was. 

After the creneral peace in 1762, an attempt wasi, 
made by a number of tie western Indians to de- 
stroy the British colonies. The Senecas were in- 
volved in this war, but in 1764, Sir William John- 
son, st^^^lino; himself his Majesty's sole agent and 
superintendant of Indian affairs for the northern 
parts of North America, and colonel of the Six 
United Nations, their allies and dependents, agreed 
to preliminary articles of peace with them. In 
this treaty, the Senecas ceded the carryino^ place 
at Niat^ara to Great Britain. The Confederates 
remained in a state of peace, until the commence- 
ment of the Revolutionary War.* On the 19th of 
June, 177.5, the Oneidas and some other Indians, 
sent to the convention of Massachusetts a speech, 
declarinor their neutrality; stating that they could 
not find nor recollect in the traditions of tleir 
ancestors, a paralled case; and saying, "As we 
have declared for peace, we desire you would 
not apply to our Indian brethren in New England 
for assistance. Let us Indians be all of one mind> 
and live with one another; and you white people 
settle your own disputes betwixt yourselves.! 

* Thomas Mante's History of the Late war in North America.' 
ci.c. piinteri, London, 1772, [>. 503. 
t Williams' History of Vermont, vol. 2, p. 440, 



69 

These good dispositions did not lonsj continue 
with most of the Indian nations ; all within the 
reach of British blandishments and presents were 
prevailed upon to take up the hatchet. It is cal- 
<:ulated that twelve thousand six hundred and 
ninety Indian warriors >\ere emphned by the 
British during the revolutionary war, of which one 
thousand five hundred and eiojhty were Iroquois.* 
The intluence of Sir William Johnson over the 
savages was transmitted to his son, who was most 
successful in allurins; them into the views of Great 
Britain. " A great w ar feast was made by him on 
the occasion, in which, according to the horrid 
phraseology of these barbarians, they were invited 
to banquet upon a Bostonian, and to drink his 
blood."t 

General Burgoyne made a speech to the Indians 
on the '21st of June, 1777, urging them to hostili- 
ties, and stating " his satisfaction at the general 
conduct of the Indian tribes, from the beginning 
of the troubles in America." An old Iroquois chief 
answered, " We have been tried and tempted by 
the Bostonians, but we have loved our father, and 
our hatchets have been sharpened on our atiections. 
In proof of the sincerity of our professions, our 
whole villages, able* to go to w ar, are come forth ; 
the old and infirm, our infants and our wives, alone 
remain at home.'J They realized their profes- 
sions. The whole Confederacy, except a little more 
than half of the Oneidas, took up arms against us. 
They hung like the scythe of death upon the rear 
of our settlements, and their deeds are inscribed., 
with the scalping knife and the tt»mahawk, in cha- 

* Massachusetts Historical Society, vol. 10. p. 120, Arc 

t B^lsham. 

t AVill)am<i- as before quoted, vol. 2 

[10] 



TO 

i'acters of blood, on the fields of Wyorninc^ and 
Cherry V^alley, and on tlie banks of tlie Mohawk. 

It became necessary that the Confederates should 
receive a signal chastisement for their barbarous 
and cruel incusions; and accordinj^ly, general J^ul- 
livan, with an army of nearly five thousand men. 
marched into their country in the year 1779. 
Near Newtown, in the present county of Tioga, 
he defeated them, and drove them from their for- 
tifications ; lie continued his march between the 
Cayuga and Sene( a Lakes, and through their ter- 
ritory, as far :is the (lenessee River, destroying their 
orciiards, cornfields, anfl forty villages ; the largest 
of which contained one hundred and twenty-eight 
houses. This expedition was nearly the finish- 
ing blow to savage cruelly and insolence ; their 
habitations were destroyed; their provinces laid 
waste; they were driven from their country, and 
w ere compelled to take refuge under the cannon 
of Niagara; and tlieir hostility terminated with 
the pacification with Great Britain. 

'I'he Confederates were as celebrated for their 
eloquence, as for their military skill and political 
wisdom. Popular, or free governments have, in 
all ages, been the congenial soil of oratory. And it 
is, indeed, all important in institutions merely advi- 
sory ; where persuasion must supply the place of 
coercion ; where there is no magistrate to execute, 
no military to compel ; and where the only sanc- 
tion of law is the controlling power of public 
opinion. Eloquence being, therefore, considered 
so essential, must always be a great standard of 
personal merit, a certain road to popular favour, 
and an universal passport to public honours. These 
combined inducements operated with powerful 
force on the mind of the Indian ; and there is little 
doubt but that oratory was studied with as much 
rare and application among tiie Confederates, as 



71 

it was in the stormy democracies of the eastern 
hemispliere. I do not jiretend to assert that there 
were, as at Athens and liome, established schools 
and professional teacliers for the purpose ; but I 
say, that it was an attainment to which they de- 
voted tliemselves, and to which they bent the whole 
force of their faculties. Their models of eloquence 
were to be found, not in books, but in the living 
orators of their local and national assemblies: their 
children, at an early period of life, attended their 
council fires, in order to observe the passing scenes, 
and to receive the lessons of wisdom. Their rich 
and vivid imagery was drawn from the sublime 
scenery of nafure, and their ideas were derived 
from the laborious operations of their own minds, 
and from the experience and wisdom of their 
ancient sages. 

The most remarkable difference existed between 
the Confederates and the other Indian nations with 
respect to eloquence. You may search in vain 
in the records and writings of the past, or in events 
of the present times, for a single model of eloquence 
among the Algonkins, the Abenaquis, the Dela- 
waresf the Shawanese, or an v other nation of In- 
dians, except the Iroquois. The few scintillations 
of intellectual light ; the faint glimmerings of ge- 
nius, which are sometimes to be found in their 
speeches, are evidently derivative, and borrowed 
from the Confederates. 

Considering the interpreters who have under- 
taken to give the meaning of Indian speeches, it is 
not a little surprising, that some of them should 
approach so ne^ar to perfection. The major part of 
the interpreters were illiterate persons, sent among 
them to conciliate their favour, by making useful 
or ornamental implements ; or they were prisoners, 
who learnt the Indian language during their cap- 
tivitv. The Reverend Mr. Kirkland, a mission- 



72 

ary amonaj ttie Oneidas, and sometimes a public 
inleipieter, was indeed a man of liberal education ; 
but those who have seen him ofiiciate at public 
tr« aties, must recollect how inconipetent he was to 
infuse the fire of Indian oratory into his expres- 
sions; how he laboured for words, and how feeble 
and inelegant his lan^uaoe. Oral is more difficult 
than written interpretation or translation. In the 
latter case, there is no pressure of time, and we 
have ample opportunity to weigh the most suitable 
words, to select the most elegant expressions, and 
to fathom the sense of the author ; but in the former 
case, we are called upon to act immediately ; no 
time for deliberation is allowed ; and the first ideas 
that occur must be pressed into the service of the 
interpreter. At an ancient treaty, a female captive 
offif iated in that capacity ; and at a treaty held in 
17 22, at iMban\, the speeches of the Indians were 
first rendered into Dutch, and then translated into 
English.* I except from these remarks, the speech 
of the Onondaga Chief, darangula, to M. Delabarre, 
delivered on the occasion which I have before men- 
tioned. This was interpreted by Monsieur Le 
Maine, a French Jesuit, and recorded on the spot 
hy Baron La Hontan — men of enlightened and cul- 
tivated minds ; from whom it has been borrowed by 
Golden, Smith, Herriot, Trulnl ull and Williams. 
I believe it to be impossible to find, in all the effu- 
sions of ancient or modern oratory, a speech more 
appropriate and more convincing. Under the veil 
of respectful profession, it conveys the most biting 
irony i and while it abounds with rich and splendid 
imagery, it contains the most solid reasoning. I 
place it in the same rank with the celebrated speech 
of Logan ; and I cannot but express astonishment 
at the conduct of two respectable writers, who 

*l Oldmixou's British Empire, vol. 1. p. 254. 



73 

have represented this interesting interview, and this 
sublime display of intellectual powrr, as " a scold 
between the French 2;eneral and an old Indian.""^ 

On the 9th of February, 1690, as we are inCorrned 
by the tradition of the inliabitants, altliouob history 
has fixed it on the 8tli, the town of fechenectady, 
which then consisted of a church and forty three 
houses, was surprised by a party of French and In- 
dians from Canada: a dreadful scene of conflai>Ta- 
tion and massacre ensued ; the sjreater part of the 
inhabitants were killed or made prisoners ; those 
that escaped fled naked toward Albany, in a deep 
snow which fell that very night, and providentially 
met sleighs from that place, which returned hnme- 
diately with them. This proceeding ^truck terror 
into the inhal>itants of Albany, who were about to 
alandon the country in despair and consternation. 
On this occasion, several of the Mohawk chiefs 
went to Albany, to make the customary speech of 
condolejice, and to animate to honourable exertion, 
Their speech is preserved in the lirst volume of 
Colden's History of tlie Five Indian Nations of 
Canada; and even at this distant period, it is im- 
possible to read it, without sensibility, without re- 
specting its atFectionate sympathy, and admiring 
its magnanimous spirit, and without ranking it 
among the most respectable models of eloquence 
which history atf'ords.f 

In 1777 and 177H, an association of our own citi- 
ZCDS, in violation of law, contracted with the Six 
INations for the greater part of their territory, on a 
lease of nine hundred and ninety-nine years, at an 
insignificant annual rent. I'hese proceedings were, 
on the motion of the President of this ►SocietyjJ de- 

* ColdcQ aad Smith. f Appendix. No. 2. 

t Egbnt Benson, Esq. 



?4 



dared void in 3[arcb, 1788, by the authoriries of 
the state ; and when their true character was made 
known to the Indians ; when they found that their 
country, in which were interred the bones of tlieir 
ancestors, was sacrificed to the overreaching cupid- 
ity of unauthorized speculators, the greateS anxie- 
ty and consternation prevailed among them. The 
Senecas and Cayugas repaired to Albany to confer 
\yith the governor; but having no speaker at that 
time of sufficient eminence and talents for the im- 
portant occasion, they employed Good Peter, or 
Domine Peter, tb.e Cicero of the Six Nations, to be 
their orator, and he addressed the governor and 
other commissioners in a speech of^great length 
and ability : it was replete with figurative language ; 
the topics were selected with great art and judg- 
ment ; I took down the speech from the mouth of 
the interpreter ; and notwithstanding the imperfect 
interpretation of Mr. Kirkland, consider it a rare 
specimen of Indian eloquence.* 

AVithin a few years, an extraordinary orator has' 
risen among the Senecas; his real name is Saguoaha, 
but he is commonly called Red Jacket. Without 
the advantages of illustrious descent, and with no 
extraordinary talents for war, he has attained the 
first distinctions in the nation, by the force of his 
eloquence. His predecessor, in the honours of the 
nation, w as a celebrated chief, denominated The 
Cornplanter. Having lost the confidence of his 
countrymen, in order, as it is supposed, to retrieve 
his former tsanding, he persuaded his brother to 
announce himself as a prophet, or messenger from 
Heaven, sent to redeem the fallen fortunes of the 
Indian race. The superstition of the savages 
cherished the impostor; and he has acquired si7ch 
an ascendancy, as to prevail upon the Onondagas. 

* Appendix, No. 3. 



75 

formerly the nao?t drunken and proflic^ate of the 
Six ?sation-, to abstain entirely from spirituous 
liquors, and to observe the laws of morality in 
other respects. He has obtained the same ascen- 
dancy amonf; the Confederates as another impos- 
tor had acquired among the Shawanese and other 
western Indians ; and, like him, he has also employ- 
ed his influence for evil, as well as for good pur- 
poses. The Indians universally believe in wiich- 
craft i the prophet inculcated this superstition, and 
proceeded, through the instrumentality of conju- 
rers selected by himself, to designate the offendei^ 
who were accordingly sentenced to death. And 
the unhappy objects would have been actually 
executed, if the magistrates at Oneida, and the 
officers of the garrison at Niagara, had not interfer- 
ed. This was considered an artful expedient to 
render his enemies the objects of general abhor- 
rence, if not the victims of an ignominious death. 
Emboldened by success, he proceeded, finally, to 
execute the views of his brother, and Red Jacket 
was publicly denounced at a great council of 
Indians, held at Buffaloe Creek, and was put upon 
his trial. At this crisis he well knew that thie 
future colour of his life depended upon the powers 
of his mind. He spoke in his defence for near 
three hours. The iron brow of superstition relent- 
ed under the magic of his eloquence : he declared 
the prophet an imposter and a cheat ; he prevailed ; 
the Indians divided, and a small majority appeared 
in his favour. Perhaps the annals of history can- 
not furnish a more conspicuous instance of the 
triumph and power of oratory, in a barbarous na- 
tion, devoted to superstition, and looking up to the 
accuser as a delegated minister of the Almighty. 

I am well aware that the speech of Logan will 
be triumphantly quoted against me ; and that it will 
bp said, that the most splendid exhibition of Indian 



76 

eloquence may he found oul of the pale of the 
Six Nations. I fully subscribe to the eulogfium of 
]\Ir. .Tefierson, wi.en he says, '* [ may challenge the 
whole orations of Demo thenes and Cicero, and of 
any more eminent orator, if Europe has furnished 
more eminent, to produce a single passage superior 
to the speech of Logan." But let it be remem- 
bered that Looan was a Mingo chief, the second 
son of ShikeJlemus, a celebrated Cayuga chief, 
and consequently belonged to the Confederates, 
although he did not live in their patrimonial terri- 
tory. The Iroquois had sent out several cplonies ; 
one of them was settled at Sandusky, and was esti- 
mated to contain three liundred warriors, in 1768. 
Another was established on a branch of the Scioto, 
and had sixty warriors in 1779.* 

To this I may add the testimony of Charlevoix, 
who may l)e justly placed in the first rank of able 
and learned writers on American affairs, and w4io 
entertained all the prejudices of his country against 
the confederacy. Speaking of .loncaire, who had 
been adopted by the Senec^s, and who had obtain- 
ed their consent for the establishment of a fort at 
Niagara, he says, " II parla avec tout I'esprit d'un 
Francois, qui en a beaucoupet la plus sublime elo- 
quence Iroquoise." He spoke witli all the ener- 
getic spirit of a Frenchman, and with the most su- 
blime eloquence of an Iroquois.f 

It cannot, I presume, be doubted, but that the 
Confederates were a peculiar and extraordinary 
people, contradistinguished from the mass of the 
Indian nations by great attainments in polity, in 
government, in negotiation, in eloquence, and in 

* JclTersoii's Notes. 

t Charlevoix, leiter 15. p. 243. Q.UJ^re. Ig this the Captain 
Toncaire wiio is mt^utionetl in Ge.'ieral (then Colonel) VVashingtoa's 
Journal of iiis luisstoa to the Ohio ? Sec Marshall's Life of Wash- 
iogtoii, vol- 2 uole. I. 



war. La Hontan asserts that " they are of a larger 
stature, and withal, more raliant and cunning than 
the other nations."* Charlevoix derives (heir name 
of A£;onnonsioni, from their superior skill and taste 
in architecture.f The perspicacious and philoso- 
phical Pennant, after fully weighing their character, 
qualities, and physical conformation, pronounced 
them the descendants of the Tschutski, who reside 
on a peninsula, which forms the most northeasterly 
part of Asia ; who are a free and brave race ; and, 
m size and figure, superior to every neighbouring 
nation. The Russians have never been able to ef- 
fect their conquest. They cherish a high sense of 
liberty ; constantly refuse to pay tribute ; and are 
supposed to have sprung from that fine race of Tar- 
tars, the Kabardinski, or inhabitants of Kabarda.i- 
But there is a striking discrimination between 
this nation and the great body of the Indian tribes, 
which remains to be mentioned. Charlevoix hafs 
the singular merit of having rejected the common 
mode of ascertaining the identity of national origin, 
from a coincidence in customs and manners ; and of 
having pointed out a similarity of language as the 
best and the surest criterion. As far back as La Hon- 
tan, whose voyages were published in 1703, and 
who was well acquainted with the Indian lan- 
truages, it was understood by him, that there were 
Sut two mother tongues, the Huron and the Algon- 
kin, in the whole extent of Canada, as far west as 
ihe Mississippi ; and in a lis* which he gives of the 
Indian nations, it appears that they all spoke the 
Algonkin languase in different dialects, except the 
Hurons and the ^Confederates ; the difference be- 
tween whose languages, he (sonsiders as not greater 

* Vol. 2. p. 4. 

7 Charlevoix, vol. 1. b. 6. p. 271. 

t Pcnnnnf''^ .{vrtlc Zoology, vol. 1. p. 1?1 186. 262, 

r 11 1 



78 

than that between the Norman and the French 
This opinion has been supported and confirmed by 
the concurrinoj testimony of Carver, Charlevoix 
Rogers, Barton, Edwards, Mackenzie, and Pike. 
with these qualifications, that the Sioux, or Nau- 
dowessies, and the Assiniboils,tot^ether v*^ith many 
nations of Indians to the west of the Mississippi, 
speak a distinct original language ; and it is not 
perfectly settled, whether the Creeks, and the other 
aouthern Indians in their vicinity, use a parent lan- 
guage; or under which of the three great parent 
ones tliciis um^i Ijc classed. Carver speaks of the 
Cliippewa; Edwards, of the Mohegan; Barton, of 
the Delaware ; Ht>gers, of the Ottaway, as the most 
prevailjiig langimge in North America; but they 
all agree in Ihc shnihuity. JJr. Edwards asserts, 
that the language of the Delaware?, in Pennsylva- 
nia ; of the Penobscots, bortlering on Nova Scotia ; 
of the Indians of St. Francis, in Canada; of the 
Shawanese, on the Ohio ; of the Chippewas, at the 
westward of Lake Huron; of the Ottawas, Nanti- 
cockes, Munsees, Minonionees, IMisiuagues, Sass- 
kies, Ottagamies, Killestones, Mipegois, Algonkins, 
Winnebagoes ; and of tlie several tribes in New- 
England, are radically the same ; and the varia- 
tions are to be accounted for from the want of let- 
ters, and of communication. On the other hand, 
that the Confederates and the Hurons were origi- 
nally of the same stock, may be inferred, not only 
from the sameness of their language, but from their 
division into similar tribes.* From this, we may 

* TrarnbiiU's Connecticut, vol. 1. p. 43. Henry's Travels io 
€ana(5a, p. 250. 2^0. 325. Carver's Travels, p. 1 70. Macken- 
zie's Vo)aj2;es, p. 280. Charlevoix, vol. 3. letters lltli and 12th. 
.Teffeiy's JXatural and Civil History of the French Dominions in 
North and South America, p. 45. 50. Roger's North America, 
p. 246. Barton's View, p. 470. Pike's Expedition, p. 65. Ed- 
wards' Observations on the Language of the Muhhekanew In- 
dians. La Hontaa's New Voyages, vol. 1. p. 270. vol. 2. p. 287, 



79 

rationally coiidnde, tliat, l]io;3C nations were de- 
scended from an Asiatic stock, radically ditFerent 
from that of the ^reat body of Indians, who were 
spread over North America; and that the superior 
qualities of the Iroquois may he ascribed, as well 
to the superiority of their oriojin, as to the advan- 
taojes of position, the maxims of policy, and the 
principles of education, which distinguished them 
from the other red inhabitants of this western world. 
And they were, indeed, at all times ready and vyil- 
linij to cherish the sentiment of exaltation which 
they felt ; and believing that they excelled the rest 
of mankind, they called themselves Onguc-Honwe ; 
that is, men surpassing all others.* 

It is extremely difficult to speak, with any preci- 
sion, of the ancient population of the Indian na- 
tions. The Powhatan confederacy, or empire, as 
it was called, contained one inhabitant for every 
square mile; and the proportion of warriors to the 
whole number of inhabitants was as three to ten.f 
If this is to aflbrd a just rule for estimating the Con- 
federates, it would be easy to ascertain their num 
ber, and to adjust the relative proportion of their 
fighting men'. Supposing their patrimonial or 
dwelling country to be three hundred miles in 
length, and one hundred in breadth, the whole 
number of square miles would be thirty thousand ; 
and the number of souls the same.J Some writers 
state the number of their warriors, at the first Eu- 

* Coldeu, vol. 1 . p. 2. 

t Jefferson's Notes, p. 141, «StC. 

X On this subject see Trumbull's History of the United States, 
vol. 1. p. 30, i^c. Williams' Vermont, vol. 1. p. 215, &ic. 
Douglass' Summary, vol. 1. p. 185. Mass. Historical Society, 
vol. 5. p. 13. IG. 23. &c. Mass. Historical Society, vol. 10. p. 
1 22, &c. Morse's Gazetteer of the Six Nations. La Hontao, 
vol. 1. p. 23, &c. Jefferson's Notes, p. 151. Holmes' Ameri- 
can Annals, vol. 1. p. 45. Holmes' American Amials, vol. ?- 
p. 137. 



80 

Fopeaii gettleineut, to be fifteen thousand, which 
would make a population of fifty thousand. La 
Hontan says, that each village, or canton, contain- 
ed about fourteen thousand souls; that is, one 
thousand five hundred that bear arms, two thousand 
superannuated men, four thousand women, two 
Uiousand maids, and four thousand children ; though, 
indeed, some say, that each village has not above 
ten or eleven thousand souls. On the first state- 
ment they would have seven thousand five hun^ 
dred, and on the last about five thousand three 
hundred and sixty fighting men. 

Col. Coursey, an agent of Virginia, had in 1677» 
a conference with the Five Nations at Albany. The 
number of warriors was estimated, at that time and 
place, as follows : 

Mohawks, - . ; . 300 

Oneidas, ,,,... 200 
Onondagas^ . , . . • 350 

Cayugas, 300 

Senecas, , . . . . i,000 

Total, 2,150 
which would make the whole population near se- 
ven thousand two hundred.* 

* Vide Chalmei's PoJitical Anoals, p. 606. which' contains the 
journey of Wentvorth and Greenslmlp, from Albany to the Five 
JYations, begun 28th May, 1677, and ended 14th July follow- 
iug. The Mohawks had four towns and one village, containing 
only one hundred houses. The Oneidas had one town, containing 
one hundred bouses. The Onondagas, one town, one hundred 
and forty houses, and one village, twenty-four Jiouses. The 
Cayugas, three towns of about one hundred houses in all. The 
Senecas, four towns, containing three hundred and twenty-four 
houses. The ^varriors the same precisely as in Col. Coursey's 
statement. (Cours. p. 21.) In the whole, seven hundred and 
ejghty-four houses; which would make nearly three warriors and 
ten inhabitants for each house. 



81 

Smith says, that in 1756, the wliole lumibv' r of 
iio-hting men was about one thousand two hun- 
dred. "^Douglass says, that in 1760, it was one 
thousand five hundred. In the first case, the whole 
population would be four thousand ; and in the last, 
five thousand. 

In 1764, Col. Bouquet, from the information of 
a French trader, stated the whole number of in- 
habitants to be one thousand five hundred and fifty. 
Captain Hutchins, who visited most of the Indian na- 
tions for the express purpose of learning their 
number, represents them to be two thousand one 
hundred and twenty in 1768 ; and Dodge, an Indian 
trader, says, that in 1779 they were one thousand 
iix hundred. These three estimates are taken from 
Jefferson's Notes on Virginia; and, although they 
apparently relate to the whole population, yet t am 
persuaded, that the statements were only intended 
to embrace the number ^f w arriors. 

During the revolutionary war, the British had in 
their service, according to the calculation of a 
British agent, 

iMohawks, 300 

Oneidas, ----- 150 
Tuscaroras, - - - - 200 
Onondagas, . - - - 300 
Cayugaf?, ----- 230 
Senecas, - - - - - 400 

Total, 1,580 
If to these we add two hundred and twenty warri- 
ors who adhered to the United States, the whole 
number of fighting men would be one thousand 
eight hundred. 

In 1783, Mr. Kirkland, the missionary, estimated 
the number of warriors in the Seneca nation, at 
six hundred. This would make the whole popula- 
lion two thousand ; and a? the Sen^cas then com- 



posed ne-diiy one half of the whole Confedemev, 
the fighting men would be about one thousand tvvo 
hundred, and the total number of inhabitants, up- 
ward of four thousand. In ]790, he calculated 
the whole population of the Confederacy, including 
those who reside on Grand River in Canada, and 
the Stockbridge and Brothertown Indians, to be 
six thousand three hundred and thirty. This 
would make the number of warriors near one thou- 
sand nine hundred. 

In 1794, on the division of an annuity of four 
thousand five hundred dollars, given to them by 
the United States, their number was ascertained 
with considerable precision ; each individual in the 
Confederacy (except those residing in the British 
dominions) receiving an equal share. 

ir: TBF. rrtiTED states. tnTisn ltne?. 

MohawKs, --- 300 

Oneidas, - - - . 628 - - - 460 

Cay u gas, - - - . 

Onondagas, - - - - 450 - - - 760 

Tuscaroras, - - - - 

Senecas, ~ . - . 

3298 
760 

Total, 4,058 
The Stockbridge and Brothertown Indians, are not 
included. This would make the number of fight- 
ing men, one thousand three hundred and fifty= 
two. 

These various estimates evince the great uncer- 
tainty prevailing on this subject. While La Hon^ 
tan exaggerates the population of the Confederacy, 
Smith evidently underrates it. We know that ir^ 
their wars they often sent out considerable armies. 
They attacked the Island of Montreal with one 




thousand two hiindred men ; and in 1C83, one thou- 
sand inarched, at one time, against the Ottagamici. 
The first was in 1689, twelve years after Col. Cour- 
gey's estimate. Supposinij; that one thousand two 
liundred warriors were at that time at home, and 
otherwise employed, the whole number would then 
be about two thousand ibur hundred ; which show 
a considerable coincidence between the two state- 
ments. On one point there is, however, no uncer- 
tainty. Ever since the men of Europe landed on 
the shores of America, tliere hay been a diminution 
of the number of Aborigines ; sometimes rapid, at 
other times gradual. The present condition of the 
Confederates furnishes an admonitory lesson to 
human pride; and adds another proof to the many 
on record, that nations, like individuals, are destin- 
ed by Providence to dissolution. Their patrimo 
nial estates, their ancient dwelling lands, are now 
crowded with a white population, excepting some 
reservations in the Oneida, Onondaga and Seneca 
countries. The Mohawks abandoned their coun- 
try during the war; and the Cayugas have since 
the peace. A remnant of the Tuscaroras reside on 
three miles square, near the Niagara River, on 
lands given to them by the Senecas and the Hol- 
land land company. The Oneida reservation does 
not contain more than ten tliousand acres; and the 
Onondaga is still smaller. The Senecas have tlieir 
principal settlement at Butlaloe Creek. Their 
reservations are extensive and valuable, containing 
more than one hundred and sixty thousand acres: 
and they possess upward of oLie hundred thousand 
dollars in tlie stock of the late bank of the United 
States. 

Tlic vSix Nations have lost their high character 
and elevated standing. Tliey are, in general, ad- 
dicted to idleness and drunkenness; the remnant of 
• heir el(»quenco and military soirit. as well as na 



tional siren olli, is to be found only among the Sene- 
cfis. Their ancient men, who have witnessed the 
former i^lory and prosperity of their country, and 
who have heard from the mouths of their ancestors, 
the heroic achievements of their countrymen, weep 
Hke infants, when they speak of the fallen condition 
of the nation. They, however, derive some conso 
lation from a prophecy of ancient origin and uni- 
versal currency among them, that the man of Ame- 
rica will, at some future time, regain his ancient 
ascendency, and expel the man of Europe from 
iliis western hemisphere. This flattering and con- 
solatory persuasion has restrained, in some degree;, 
their vicious propensities; has enabled the Seneca 
and Shawanese prophets to arrest in some tribes 
the use of intoxicating liquors, and has given birth, 
at different periods, to certahi movements toward 
a general confederacy of the savages of North 
America. That they consider the white man an 
enemy and an intruder, who has expelled them 
from their country, is most certain ; and they cherish 
this antipathy with so much rancour, that when 
they abandon their settlements, they make it a rule 
never to disclose to him any mineral substances or 
springs, ^^hich may redound to his convenience or 
advantage. 

71ie causes of their degradation and diminution^ 
are principally to be found in their baneful commu- 
nication with the man of Europe ; which has con- 
taminated their morals, destroyed their population, 
robbed them of their country, and deprived them 
of their national spirit. Indeed, when we consider, 
that the di,scovery and settlement of America, have 
exterminated millions of the red men, and entailed 
upon the sable inhabitants of Africa, endless and 
destructive wars, captivity, slavery and death, we 
have reason to shudder at the glooniy perspective, 
and to appiehend that, in the retributive justice of 



85 

llie Almighty, " there may be some hidden thunder 
in the stores of Heaven, red with uncommon 
wrath ;"* some portentous cloud, pregnant with the 
elements of destruction, ready to burst upon Euro- 
pean America, and to entail upon us those calami- 
ties which we have so wantonly and wickedly in- 
flicted upon others. 

A nation that derives its subsistence, principally, 
from the forest, cannot live in the vicinity of one 
that relies upon the products of the field. The 
clearing of the country drives off the wild beasts ; 
and when the game fails, the hunter must starve^ 
change his occupation, or retire from the approach 
of cultivation. The Savage has invariably prefer- 
red the last. The Mohawks were, at one period, 
the most numerous canton ; but they soon became 
the smallest. This was on account of their pro- 
pinquity to the whites; while the Senecas, who 
are most remote, are the most populous. There 
are two other causes which have contributed to 
the destruction of the IMohawks ; their extreme 
ferocity, which distinguished them from the other 
cantons, and which exposed them to greater perils ; 
and the early seduction of a part of their nation by 
the French, w ho prevailed upon them to migrate 
to Canada. The scarcity of food has also been 
augmented by other causes, besides that of cul- 
tivating the ground. Formerly they killed for 
the sake of subsistence : the Europeans instigated 
them to kill for the sake of the furs and skins. The 
use of fire-arms has had the effect, by the explosion 
of powder, of frightening away the game ; and at the 
same time, of enabling the savage to compass their 
destruction with greater facility, than by hisancient 
weapon the bow and arrow, whose execution was 
less certain, and whose operation was less terrific. 

Addison's Cato. 

[12] 



86 

The old Scythian propensity for wandering from 
place to place, and to make distant excursions, 
predominates among them. Some, after an ab- 
sence of tvNcnty years, have again shown them- 
selves, while others never return. Many of the 
Iroquois are amalgamated with the western In- 
dians. In 17! 9, a colony of the Confederates, who 
had been brought up from their infancy under the 
Roman Catholic Missionaries, and instructed by 
them at a village, within nine miles of Montreal, 
emigrated to the banks of the Saskatchiwine River, 
beyond Lake Winnipeg.^ 

The endless and destructive wars in which they 
have been involved, have also been a principal 
cause of diininishing their population. The 
number of birtlis among savage, is always inferior 
to that among civilized nations, where subsist- 
ence is easier, and where the female sex are con- 
sidered the companions, the friends, and the equals 
of man ; and are associated and connected with him 
by the silken ties of choice and affection, not by 
the iron chains of compulsion and slavery. In 
times of war, the number of deaths among the 
Indians generally exceeded that of the births; and 
the Iroquois, for the last fifty years, not having 
been able to execute to any great extent their 
system of adoption, have experienced a correspond- 
ent diminution. The manner of savage warfare 
IS also peculiarly destructive. Among civilized 
nations, great armies are brought into the field at 
once ; and a few years, and a great battle, decide 
the fortune of the war, and produce a peace. 
Among Indians, wars are carried on by small 
detachments, and in detail, and for a long time. 
Among the former they operate like amputation ; 
a limb is cut off, and the remainder of the body 
lives ; but with savages, they resemble a slow and 

* Mackenzie, vol. 1. p. 298= 



87 

wasting disease, which gradually undermines the 
vital principle, and destroys the wtiole system. 

Before their acquaintance with the man of Eu- 
rope they were visited by dreadful diseases, which 
depopulated whole countries. Just before the set- 
tlement of New-Engiand, some whole nations 
were swept off by a pestilence. The whites intro- 
duced that terrible enemy of barbarous nalions, 
the small pox, as well in the north of Asia as in 
America. Kamschatka was very po|)ulous until 
the arrival of the Russians; a dreadful visitation of 
the small pox, in 1767, nearly exterminated its in- 
habitants.* In 1779 and 1780, the small pox 
spread among the Killistinoes, or Kanistenaux, and 
Chepewyans, " with a baneful rapidity that no flight 
could escape, and with a fatal effect that nothing 
could resist."t Nine tenths of the northern Indians, 
so called by Hearne, were cut off by it.J In 1670, 
this disease depopulated the north of Canada.^ A 
whole nation, called the Attetramasues, were de- 
stroyed. The vicinity of the Confederates to the Eu- 
ropean settlements, and their constant intercourse, 
have exposed them continually to its visitations ; 
and their method of erne being the same in all dis- 
eases, immersion in cold water after a vapor bath, 
has aggravated its ravages. Their imitation of the 
European dress, has also substituted a lighter mode 
of clothing in lieu of warm furs ; by which, and their 
exposure to the elements, they are peculiarly sub- 
jected to consumptions and inflammatory com- 
plaints. Longevity is, however, by no means un- 
common among them. In their settlements you see 
some very old people. 



Pennant, vol 1. p. 215. _ t Mackenzie, vol. 1. p. 1 7. 

132 



* Pennant, vol i. p. zia. t l^x<x^'^^^^^^^ ""■• 

i Hearne's Journey to the Northern Ocean, p. 1 
i Jefferv, before quoted, p. 1 10. Herriot, p. 13! 



Nectl 1 add to Ibis melancholy catalogue, ilie 
use of spirituous liquors, which has realized airioug 
thern the fabulous efiects of the bohon upas, 
which has been to them " the Hydra of calamities ; 
the sevenfold death ,"* and which has palsitd all 
their energies, enfeebled their minds, destroyed 
their bodies, rendered them inferior to the beasts of 
the forest, and operated upon them as destructively 
as 

-famine, unr, or spotted peslilence^ 



Baoelu! as death, and hoiribie as hell."t 

At the treatv held in Lancaster in 1744, the 
Five Nations addressed the colonies of Pennsyl- 
vania, Virginia, and Maryland, as follows : " We 
heartily recommend union and a o;ood agreement 
between you our brethren. Never disagree, but 
preserve a strict friendship for one another; and 
thereby you, as well as we, will become the stronger. 
Our wise forefathers established amity and friend- 
ship among the Five Nations. This has made us 
formidable, and has given us great weight and au- 
thority with the neighbouring nations. We are a 
powerful confederacy ; and by your observing the 
same means which our wise forefathers pursued, 
you will acquire fresh strength and power. There- 
fore, whatever befalls you, never fall out with one 
another."J Tiiis ancient and cementing principle 
of union and fraternity, which has connected them 
in friendship, and which was the basis of their power 
and the pillar of their greatness, has been entirely 
driven from them. 'J'he fury of discord has blown 
her horn, and rendered them the prey of the most 
ferocious and unrelenting passions. Party, in all 
its forms and violence, rages among them with un- 
controlled sway. Their nations are split up into 

* Young's Revenge. f Rowe's Jane Shore, 

t Golden, vol. 2. p. 113. 



8» 

frao;inent«; ilie son, is arrayed acrainst the father; 
brotlier aijjainst brother ; families against families ; 
tribes against tribes ; and canton a^jainst canton. 
They are divided into factions, religious, political 
and personal ; Christian and Pagan ; American and 
British; the followers of Cornplanter and Sagoua- 
Ha ; of Skonadoi and Capt. Peter. The minister 
of destruction is hovering over them, and before 
the passing away of the present generation, not a 
single Iroquois will be seen in this state. 

It would be an unpardonable omission, not to men- 
tion, while treating on this subject, that there is 
every reason to believe, that previous to the occu- 
panc}' of this country by the progenitors of the pre- 
sent nations of Indians, it was inhabited by a race 
of men much more populous, and much further ad- 
vanced in civilization. The numerous remains of 
ancient fortifications, which are found in this coun- 
try, commencing principally near the Onondaga 
River, and from thence spreading over the Military 
Tract, the (ienessee country, and the lands of the 
Holland Land Company, over the territory adjoin- 
ing the Ohio and its tributary streams, the country 
on Lake Erie, and extending even west of the Mis- 
sissippi, demonstrate a population far exceeding that 
of the Indians when this country was first settled. 
I have seen several of these works in the western 
parts of this state. There is a large one in the 
town of Onondaga ; one in Pompey, and another in 
Manbus ; one in Camillus, eight miles from Auburn ; 
one in Scipio, six miles ; another one mile ; and one, 
lialf a mile from that village. Between the Seneca 
and Cayuga Lakes there are several ; three within 
a few miles of each other. Near the village of 
Canadaigue there are three. In a word, they are 
scattered all over that country.* 

* On the subject of tliese ancient fortificatioDs, see Charlevoix, 
?9l, 1. K U.p. 533 Chaileroix, letlef 23, vol. 3. p.'(^33, Arr<^ri 



90 

Tlicse forts were, ^^enerally speaking, erected 
on the most commanding ground. The walls or 
breastworks were earthen. The ditches were on 
the exterior of the works. On some of the para- 
pets, oak trees were to be seen, which, from the 
number of the concentric circles, must haye been 
standing one hundred and fifty, two hundred and 
sixty, and three hundred years; and there were 
evident indications, not only that they had sprung 
up since the erection of those works, but that they 
were at least a second growth. The trenches were 
in some cases deep and wide, and in others shallow 
and narrow ; and the breast works varied in alti- 
tude from three to eight feet. They sometimes 
had one, and sometimes two entrances, as was to 
be inferred from there being no ditch at those 
places. When the works were protected by a deep 
ravine, or a large stream of water, no ditch was to 
be seen. The areas of these forts varied from two 
to six acres ; and the form was generally an irre- 
gular ellipsis ; and in some of them fragments of 
eartlien ware and pulverized substances, supposed 
to have been originally human bones, were to be 
found. 

can Museum, vol. 6. p. 29. 233. Massachusetts Historical Collec- 
tiODS, vol. 3. p. 23 ; Massachuselts Hii<toiicai Collections, vol, 4. 
p. 101. 107. Imlay's Kentucky, p. 379. Herriot's Canada, p. 14 
to 26. Belknap's American Biography, vol. 1. p. 194 — 196. His- 
tory of Virginia, anonymous, published in London, 1722, p. 149. 
Carver's Travels, p. 37. Voluey's United States, p. 486, Bar- 
ton's Medical and Physical Journal, vol. 1. part 1. p. 97. Ibid, 
part. 2. p. 80, Ibid. vol. 2. part 1. p. 187. Adair's Indians, p. 377. 
New- York Magazine, January, 1793, p. 23. Michaux's Travels 
to the Westward of the Alleghany Mountains in 1802, vol. 1. Co- 
lumbian Magazine for 1787, vol. 1, No. 9, Shultz's Inland Voy- 
age, vol, 1. p. 146, American Philosophical Transactions, vol. 6. 
p. 132. Medical Repository, 3d llexade, vol. 2. No. 2. p, 146. 
Rogers' Concise Account of North America, p. 247. Harris's 
Tour in 1803 into the State of Ohio, p. 149, <fcc. Hubbard's 
Narrative of the Indian Wars in New Eggland, p. 32. 106. Wil- 
liamson OD the Clinaate, &c. of America, p, 189, 



91 

These fortifications, thus diffused over the inte- 
rior of our country, have been generally considered 
as surpassing the skill, patience and industry of the 
Indian race ; and various hypotheses have been ad- 
vanced to prove them of European origin. 

An American writer of no inconsiderable repute 
pronounced some years ago, that the two forts at 
the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio rivers, 
one covering forty and the other twenty acres, were 
erected by Ferdinand de Soto, who landed with 
one thousand men in Florida in 1539, and penetrat- 
ed a considerable distance into the interior of the 
country. He allotted the large fort for the use of 
the Spanish army ; and after being extremely puz- 
zled how to dispose of the small one in its vicinity, 
he at last assigned it to the swine, that generally, 
as he says, attended the Spaniards in those days ; 
being in his opinion very necessary, in order to 
prevent them from becoming estrays, and to pro- 
tect them from the depredations of the Indians. 

When two ancient forts, one containing six and 
the other three acres, were found near Lexington 
in Kentucky, another theory was propounded, and 
it was supposed that they were erected by the de- 
scendants of the Welch colony, who are said to 
have migrated under the auspices of Madoc to this 
countrj, in the twelfth century ; that they former- 
ly inhabited Kentucky ; but being attacked by the 
Indians, were forced to take refuge near the sources 
of the Missouri. 

Another suggestion has been made, that the 
French, in their expeditions from Canada to the 
Mississipi, were the authors of these works: but the 
most numerous are to be found in the territory of 
the Senecas, whose hostility to the French was 
such, that they were not allowed for a long time to 
have any footing among them.* The fort at Nia- 

* Colden, vol. 1. p. 61. 



92 

^•dra was obtained from tliem, by the inirioiies and 
eloquence of Joncaire, an adopted child of the 
nation.* 

Louis Dennie, a Frenchman, aged upward of 
seventy, and who has been settled and married 
among the confederates for more than half a cen- 
tury, told me that according to the traditions of the 
ancient I dians, these forts were erected by an 
army of (Spaniards, who were the first Europeans 
ever seen by them ; the French the next; then the 
Dutch ; and finally the English : that his army first 
appeared at Oswego in great force, and penetrated 
though the interior of the country, searching for 
the precious metals; that they continued there two 
years, and went down the Ohio. 

Some of the Senecas told Mr. Kirkland the mis- 
sionary, that those in their territory were raised by 
their ancestors in their wars Avith the western In- 
dians, three, four or five hundred years ago. All 
the cantons have traditions, that their ancestors 
came originally from the w-est; and the Senecas 
say that theirs first settled in the country of the 
Creeks. The early histories mention, that the Iro- 
quois first inhabited on the north side of the great 
lakes ; that they were driven to their present terri- 
tory in a war with the Algonkins or Adirondacks, 
from whence they expelled the Satanas. If these 
accounts are correct, the ancestors of the Senecas 
did not, in all probability, occupy their present 
territory, at the time they allege. 

I believe we may confidently pronounce, that 
all the hypotheses which attribute those works to 
Europeans, are incorrect and fanciful : 1st. On ac- 
count of the present number of the works. 2d. On 
account of their antiquity ; having, from every ap- 
pearance, been erected a long time before the dis- 

* Charlevoix, vol. ^ letter 15. p. 227. 



9S 

covery of America: and finally, their form and 
manner arc totally variant from European fortifi- 
cations, either in ancient or modern times. 

It is equally clear that they were not the work 
of the Indians. Until the 8enecas, who are renown- 
ed for their national vanity, had seen the attention 
of the Americans attracted to these erections, and 
bad invented the fabulous account of which I have, 
spoken, the Indians of the present day did^ not 
pretend to know any thino- about their origin. 
They were beyond the reach of all their traditions, 
and were lost in the abyss of unexplored antiquity. 

The erection of such prodigious works must 
have been the result of labour, far beyond the pa- 
tience and perseverance of our Indians; and the 
form and materials are entirely different from those 
which tliey are known to make. These earthen 
walls, it is supposed, will retain their original form 
much longer than those constructed with brick and 
stone. They have, undoubtedly, been greatly di- 
minished by the washing away of the earth, the 
filling up of the interior,^ and the accumulation of 
fresh soil ; yet their firmness and solidity indicate 
them to be the work of some remote age. Add 
to this, that the Indians have never practised the 
mode of fortifying by intrenchments. Their vil- 
lages or castles were protected by palisades ; which 
afforded a sufficient defence against Indian wea- 
pons. When Cartier went to Hochelaga, now 
Montreal, in 1535, he discovered a town of the 
Iroquois, or Hurons, containing about fifty huts. 
It was encompassed with three lines of palisadoes, 
through which was one entrance, well secured with 
stakes and bars. On the inside was a rampart of 
timber, to which were ascents by ladders ; and heaps 
of stones were laid in proper places to cast at an 
enemy. Charlevoix and other writers agree, in 
representing the Indian fortresses as fabricated with 

r 13 1 



94 

wood. Such also were the forts of Sasaeus, the 
great chief of the Pequots ; and the prhicipal for- 
tress of the Narragansets was on an island in a 
swamp, of five or six acres of risin^; land : the sides 
were made with palisades set upright, encompassed 
with a hedge, of a rod in tliiclcness.* 

I have already alluded to the argument for the 
great antiquity of those ancient forts, to be deriv- 
ed from the number of concentric circles. On the 
ramparts of one of the Muskingum forts, four 
hundred and 4xty three were ascertained on a tree, 
decayed at the centre ; and there are likewise the 
strongest marks of a former growth of a similar 
size. This would make those works near a thou- 
sand years old. 

But there is another consideration which has 
never before been urged, and which appears to me 
to be not unworthy of attention. It is certainly 
novel, and I believe it to be founded on a basis, 
which cannot easily be subverted. 

From near the Genesee river to Lewiston, on the 
Niagara ri\ er, there is a remarkable ridge or eleva- 
tion of land, running almost the whole distance, 
which is seventy-eiglit miles, and in a direction 
from east to west. Its general altitude above the 
neighbouring land is thirty feet, and its width va* 
ries considerably : in some places it is not more 
than forty yards. Its elevation above the level of 
lake Ontario is perhaps one hundred and sixty feet, 
to which it descends by a gradual slope ; and its dis- 
tance from that water is between six and ten miles. 
This remarkable strip of land, would appear as if 
intended by nature for the purpose of an easy 
communication. It is in fact, a stupendous natural 
turnpike, descending gently on each side, and co- 
vered with gravel ; and but little labour is requisite 

,^ Mather's Magualia, p. 693. 



95 

to make it tlie best road in the United States. 
Wlien the forests between it and the lake are clear- 
ed, the prospects and sct^nery which will be afford- 
ed from a tour on this route to the cataract of 
Niagara, will surpass all competition for sublimity 
and beauty, variety and number. 

There is every reason to believe, that this remark- 
able rido;e was the ancient boundary of this great 
lake. The gravel with which it is covered was de- 
posited there by the waters; and the stones every 
where indicate, by their shape, the abrasion and 
agitation produced by that element. All along the 
borders of the western rivers and lakes, there are 
small mounds or heaps of gravel, of a conical form, 
erected by the fish for the protection of their 
spawn: these fish banks are found in a state that 
cannot be mistaken, at the foot of the ridge, on the 
side toward the lake ; on the opposite side none 
have been discovered. All rivers and streams v> hich 
enter the lake from the south, have their mouths 
affected with sand in a peculiar way, from the 
prevalence and power of the northwesterly winds. 
The points of the creeks which pass through this 
ridge, correspond exactly in appearance with the 
entrance of the streams into the lakes. These facts 
evince, beyond doubt, that Lake Ontario has, per- 
haps one or two thousand years ago, receded from 
this elevated ground. And the cause of this re- 
treat must be ascribed to its having enlarged its 
former outlet, or to its imprisoned waters (aided, 
probably, by an earthquake) forcing a passage 
down the present bed of the St. Lawrence; as the 
Hudson did at the Highlands, and the Mohawk at 
the Little Falls. On the south side of this great 
ridge, in its vicinity, and in all directions through 
this country, the remains of numerous forts are to 
be seen ; but on the north side ; that is, on the side 
toward the lake, not a single one has been disce- 



y6 

vered, althoiigii tlie wliole ground iias been care- 
fully explored. Considering the distance to be, 
say seventy miles in length, and eight in breath, 
and that the border of the lake is the very place 
that would be selected for habitation, and conse- 
quently for works of defence, on account of the 
facilities it would afford for subsistence, for safety, 
for all domestic accommodations and military pur- 
poses; and that on the south shores of Lake Erie, 
these ancient fortresses exist in great number, 
there can be no doubt but that these works were 
erected, when this ridge was the southern bounda- 
ry of Lake Ontario, and, consequently, that their 
origin must be sought in a very remote age. 

A great part of North America was then inhabit- 
ed by populous nations, who had made considerable 
advances in civilization. These numerous works 
could never have been supplied with provisions, 
without the aid of agriculture. Nor could they 
have been constructed without the use of iron or 
copper ; and without a perseverance, labour, and 
design, which demonstrate considerable progress in 
the arts of civilized life. A learned writer has said, 
" I perceive no reason why the Asiatic North might 
not be an officina virorum, as well as the European. 
The over-teeming country to the east of the Ri- 
phaean mountains, must find it necessary to discharge 
its inhabitants. The first great wave of people was 
forced forward by the next to it, more tumid and 
more powerful than itself: successive and new im- 
pulses continually arriving, short rest was given to 
that which spread over a more eastern tract ; dis- 
turbed again and again, it covered fresh regions. 
At length, reaching the farthest limits of the old 
world, it found a new one, with ample space to oc- 
cupy, unmolested, for ages."* After the north of 

Pennant's Aietie Zoology, vol. 1. p. 260. 



97 

Asia had thus exhausted its Exuberant population 
by such a ^reat migration, it would require a very 
long period of time to produce a cooperation of 
causes, sufficient to effect another. The first might- 
ty stream of people that flowed into America, must 
have remained free from external pressure for ages. 
Availing themselves of this period of tranquillity, 
they would devote themselves to the arts of peace, 
make rapid progress in civilization, and acquire an 
immense population. In course of time, discord 
and war would rage among them, and compel the 
establishment of places of security. At last, they 
became alarmed by the irruption of a horde of bar- 
barians, who rushed like an overwhelming flood 
from the North of Asia. 

A multitude, like which the populous North 
Poured from her frozen loins, to pass 
Rheue or the Dauaw, when her barbarous sous 
Came like a deluo;e oo the South, aud spread 
Beneath Gibralter to the Lybian saods.* 

The great law of self preservation compelled 
them to stand on their defence, to resist these ruth- 
less invaders, and to construct numerous and exten- 
sive works for protection. And for a long series of 
time the scale of victory was suspended in doubt, 
and they firmly withstood the torrent : but like the 
Romans in the decline of their empire, they were 
finally worn down and destroyed, by successive in- 
roads, and renewed attacks. And the fortifications 
of which we have treated, are the only remaining 
monuments of these ancient and exterminated na- 
tions. This is, perhaps, the airy nothing of ima- 
gination, and may be reckoned the extravagant 
dream of a visionary mind : but may we not, con- 
sidering the wonderful events of the past and pre- 

* Milton's Paradise T<ost, book 1. p. 62. 



98 

sent times, and the inscrutable dispensations of an 
over-rulino; providence, may we not look forward 
into futurity, and without departiiior from the ri^id 
laws of probability, predict theoccurrenceof similar 
scenes, at some remote period of time. And, per- 
haps, in the decrepitude of our empire, some tran- 
scendent genius, whose powers of mind shall only 
be bounded by that impenetrable circle which 
prescribes the limits of human nature,* may rally 
the barbarous nations of Asia, under the standard 
of a mighty empire. Following the tract of the 
Russian colonies and commerce toward the north- 
west coast, and availing himself of the navigation, 
arms, and military skill of civilized nations, he may, 
after subverting the neighbouring despotisms of the 
old world, bend his course toward European Ame- 
rica. The destinies of our country may then be 
decided on the waters of the Missouri, or on the 
banks of Lake Superior. And if Asia shall then 
revenge upon our posterity, the injuries w'e have 
inflicted on her sons, a new, a long, and a gloomy 
night of gothic darkness will set in upon mankind. 
And when, after the efflux of ages, the returning 
effulgence of intellectual light shall again gladden 
the nations, then the >vide-spread ruins of our cloud- 
capp'd towers, of our solemn temples, and of our 
maonificent cities, will, like the works of which 
we have treated, become the subject of curious 
research and elaborate investigation. 

* Roscoe's LoreDzo De Medicis, p. 241, 



APPENDIX, No t 



;?«oiB 5mitU'3 Hjstery of Sew-Y'irk. f»i^ id. • 

Jlonsieur De La Barrts Speech, addressed to Gor 
ransuda, an Onondaga Chief, the Indians and 
French officers at the same time forming a tirele 
round about him. 

" The kin^, my master, being informed that the 
Five Nations have often infrinored the peace, has or- 
dered me to come hither with a guard, and to send 
Ohguesse to the Ononda^as, to bring the chief 
sachems to mv camp. The intention of the jjreat 
king is, that you and I may smoke the calumet of 
peace together; but on this condition, that you 
promise me, in the name of the ^enecas, Cayusras, 
Onondagas, and Mohawks, to gire entire satisfac- 
tion and reparation to liis subjects, and for the fu- 
ture never to molest them. 

"The Senecas, Cayusjas, Onondagas, Oneidas, 
and Mohawks, have robbed and abused aU the 
traders that were passing to the Illinois and Mia- 
mies, and other Indian nations, the children of my 
kins; they have acted, on these occasions, contrary 
to the treaty of peace with my predecessor. I am 
ordered, therefore, to demand satisfaction ; and to 
tell them, that in case of refusal, or their plunder- 
ing us any more, that I have express orders to de- 
clare war. This belt confirms my words. The 
w arriors of the Five Nations have conducted the 
English into the lakes, which belong to the king, 
mylnaster, and brought the English among the na- 
fidR^ that are hi^ cb^fdren t» destroy the trade of 



LotC. 



iOO 

his subjects, and to withdraw these nations from 
him. They have carried the English thither, not- 
withstanding the prohibition of the late governor 
of New-York, who foresaw the risk that both 
they and you would run. I am willing to forget 
those things ; but if ever the like should happen for 
the future, I have express orders to declare war 
against you. This belt confirms my words. Your 
warriors have made several barbarous incursions 
on the Illinois and Miamies. They have massa- 
cred men, women, and children ; they have made 
mariy of these nations prisoners, who thought them- 
selves safe in their villages in time of peace. These 
people, who are my king's children, must not be 
your slaves : you must give them their liberty, and 
send them back into their own country. If the Five 
Nations shall refuse to do this, I have express or- 
ders to declare war against them. This belt con- 
firms my words. 

" This is what I have to say to Gaiangula, that 
he may carry to the Penecas, Onondagas, Oneidas, 
Cayugas, and Mohawks, the declaration which the 
king, my master, has commanded me to make. He 
doth not wish them to force him to send a great ar- 
my to Cadarackui fort, to begin a war, which must 
be fatal to tliem. He would be sorry that this fort, 
that was the work of peace, should become the pri- 
son of your warriors. We must endeavour on both 
sides to prevent such misfortunes. The French, 
who are the brethren and friends of the Five Na- 
tions, will never trouble their repose, provided that 
the satisfaction which I demand be given ; and that 
the treaties of peace be hereafter observed. I shall 
be extremely grieved if my words do not produce 
the etfect which I expect from them; for then I 
shall be obliged to join with tiie governor of Neu- 
York, who is commanded by his master to assist 



101 

me, and burn the castles of the Five Nations, and 
destroy you. This belt confirms my words." 

Garangula, after walking five or six times round 
the circle, answered the French governor, who sat 
in an elbow chair, in the following strain : 

" YoNSONDIO, 

" I honour you, and the warriors that are witli 
me likewise honour you. Your interpreter has 
finished your speech : I now begin mine. My 
words make haste to reach your ears; hearken to 
them. 

" Yonnondio, you must have believed, when yoii 
left Quebec, that the sun had burnt up all the fo- 
rests, which render our country inaccessible to the 
French, or that the lakes had so far overflown the 
banks, that they had surrounded our castles, and 
that it Avas impossible for us to get out of them. 
Yes, Yonnondio, surely you must have dreamt so ; 
and the curiosity of seeing so great a wonder, has 
brought you so far. Now you are vmdeceived, 
since that I and the warriors here present, are 
come to assure you that the Senecas, Cayugas, 
Onondagas, Oneidas, and Mohawks, are yet alive. 
I thank you in their name for bringing back into 
their country the calumet which your predecessor 
received from their hands. It was happy for you 
that you left under ground that murdering hatchet 
which has been so often died in the blood of the 
French. Hear, Yonnondio ; I do not sleep ; T have 
my eyes open, and the sun which enlightens me, 
discovers to me a great captain at the head of a 
company of soldiers, who speaks as if he were 
dreaming. He says that he only came to the lake 
to smoke on the great calumet with the Onondagas ; 
but Garangula says that he sees the contrary ; that 

[ 14 ] 



102 

li \\:i< to knock them on the head, if sicknei:^ had 
not weakened the arms of the Freneh. 

" I see Yonnondio raving in a canip of sick men. 
whose lives the great spirit Las saved, by inflicting 
this sickness on them. Hear, Yonnondio : our wo- 
men had taken their clubs; our children and old men 
had carried their bows and arrows into the heart of 
your camp, if our warriors had not disarmed them, 
and kept them back, when your messenger Oh- 
guesse came to our castles. It is done, and I have 
said it. Hear, Yonnondio; we plundered none of 
the French I)ut those that carried guns, powder and 
ball to the Twightwies and Chictaghicks, because 
those arms might have cost us our lives. Herein 
"vve follow the example of the .Jesuits, who stave all 
the kegs of rum brought to our castles, lest the 
drunken Indians should knock them on the head. 
Our w arriors have not beaver enough to pay for 
all these arms that they have taken ; and our old 
men are not afraid of the v ar. This belt preserves 
my words. 

" We carried the English into our lakes to trade 
there with the Utaw awas and Q^uatoghies as the 
Andirondocks brought the French to our castles 
to carry on a trade, which the English say is theirs. 
AVe are born free. We neither dc[)end on Yon- 
nondio nor Corlear. 

" Wfc may go where we please, and carry with us 
whem we please. If your allies be your slaves, use 
them as such. Command them to receive no other 
but your people. This belt preserves my words. 

" We knocked the Twightwies and Chictaghicks 
on the head because they had cut down the trees of 
peace, which were the limits of our country. They 
have hunted beavers on our land. They had acted 
contrary to the customs of all Indians ; for they 
left none of the beavers alive : they killed both 
male and female. They brought the Satanas into 



103 

the country to take part with them, after they had 
concerted ill designs against us. We have done 
less than either the English or French, that have 
usurped the lands of so many Indian nations, and 
chased them from their own country. This belt 
preserves my words. 

Hear, Vonnondio; what I say is the voice of all 
the Five Nations : hear what they answer. Open 
your ears to what they speak. The J-^enecas, Ca- 
yugas, Onondagas, Oneidas, and tiie Mohawks, say, 
that when they buried the hatchet at the Cada- 
rackui (in the presence of your predecessor) in 
the middle of the fort, they planted the tree of 
peace in the same place, to be there carefully pre- 
served, that in place of a retreat for soldiers, that 
fort might be a rendezvous for merchants ; that in 
place of arms and ammunition of war, beavers and 
merchandize should only enter there. 

" Hear, Yonnondio ; take care for the future, 
that so great a number of soldiers as appear there 
do not choke the tree of peace planted in so small a 
fort. It will be a great loss, if after it had so easily 
taken root, you should stop its growth, and pre- 
vent its covering your country and om-s with its 
branches. I assure you, in the irame of the Five 
Nations, that our warriors shall dance to the calu- 
met of peace under its leaves, and shall remain 
quiet on their mats, and shall never dig up the 
hatchet till their brother, Yonnondio, or Corlear, 
shall, either jointly or separately, endeavour to at- 
tack the country, which the great spirit has given 
to our ancestors. This belt preserves my words; 
and this other, the authority which the Five Na- 
tions have given me." 

Then Garangida, addressing himself to Mon- 
sieur La Main, said, "take courage, Ohguesse> 
you have spirit, speak — explain my words; forget 
nothing ; tell all tliat your brethren and friends say 



104 

to Yonnondio, your j^overnor, by the mouth of 
Garangula, who loves you, and deshes you to ac- 
cept of this present of beaver, and take part with me 
in my feast to which I invite you. This present of 
beaver is sent to Yonnondio on the part of th*^ 
Five Nations. 



APPENDIX, No. II. 



Speech of the Mohawk Chiefs to the Magistrates of 
Albany, on the 25th of March, 1689—90, after 
the destruction of Schenectady. 

" Brethren, 

" The murder of our brethren at Schenectady by 
the French, grieves us as much as if it had been 
done to ourselves, for we are in the same chain ; 
and no doubt our brethren of New England will 
be likewise sadly affected with this cruel action 
of the French. The French on this occasion have 
not acted like brave men, but like thieves and 
robbers. Be not therefore discouraged. We give 
this belt to wipe away your tears, 

" Brethren, 

" We lament the death of so many of our bre- 
thren, whose blood has been shed at Schenectady. 
We don't think that what the French have done 
can be called a victory, it is only a farther proof of 
their cruel deceit. The governor of Canada sends 
to Onondaga, and talks to us of peace with our 
whole house, but war was in his heart, as you may 
jiow see by woful experience. He did the same 
formerly at Cadarackui, and in the Senecas coun- 
try. This is the third time he has acted so deceit- 
fully. He has broken open our house at both ends, 
formerly in the Senecas country, and now here. 
We hope, however, to be revenged of them. One 
hundred of our bravest, young men are i» pursuit 



106 

of them ; they are brisk fellows, and they will fol^ 
low he French to their doors. We will beset them 
so closely t^hat not a man in Canada shall dare to 
step out of doors to cut a stick of wood ; but now 
cond^bSr "^ ''"'' "^^^"^ *"" bury them, by this se- 

" Brethren, 

"We came from our castles with tears in our 
eyes, to bemoan the blood shed at Schenectady bv 
the perfidious French. While we bury our dea'd 
murdered at Schenectady, we know not what may 
have befallen our own people, that are in pursuit 
ot the eneiny : they may be dead. What has befallen 
you may happen to us ; and therefore we come to 
bel7 ''"^' ''^^^^^^■^n a^ Schenectady with this third 

" Great and sudden is the mischief, as if it had 
lalien Irom Heaven upon us. Our forefathers 
taucrht us to cro with all speed to bemoan and la- 
ment with our brethren, when any disaster or mis- 
lortune happens to any in our chain. Take this 
belt of vigilance, that you may be more watchful 
lor the future. We give our brethren eye water 
to make them sharp sighted. (Giving a fourth belt.) 
VA e now come to the house where we usually 
rene« the chain ; but alas ! we find the house pol- 
luted with blood. All the Five Nations have heard 
ot tnis, and we are come to wipe awav the blood 
and clean the house. We come to invite Corlear 
and every one of you, and Quider, (calling to every 
one ol the principal men present by their names) 
to be revenged of the enemy, by this fifth belt. 

" Brethren, 

" Be not discouraged ; we are strong enough, 
if^is is the beginning of your war, and the whole 



107 

house have their eyes fixed upon you at this time, 
to observe your behaviour. They wait your mo- 
tion, and are ready to join in any resolute mea- 
sures. 

" Our chain is a stroni; chain ; it is a silver 
chain ; it can neither rust nor be broken. We, 
as to our parts, are resolute to continue the war. 

*' We will never desist, so long as a man of us re- 
mains. Take heart ; do not pack up and go away ;* 
this will give heart to a dastardly enemy. We are of 
the race of the bear; and a bear, you know, never 
yields, while one drop of blood is left. We must 
all be bears. (Giving a sixth belt.) 

" Brethren, 

" Be patient ; this disaster is an affliction which 
has fallen from Heaven upon us. The sun, which 
hath been cloudy, and sent this disaster, will shine 
again with its pleasant beams. Take courage, 
courage — (Repeating the word several times as 
they gave a seventh belt.) 

(7b the English.) 

•' Brethren, 

" Three years ago we were engaged in a bloody 
war with the French, and you encouraged us to 
proceed in it. Our success answered our expec- 
tation ; but we were not well begun, when Cor- 
lear stopped us from going on. Had you permitted 
us to go on, the French would not now have been 
able to do us the mischief they have done — we 
would have prevented theii' sowing, planting, or 
reaping. 

" We would have humbled them effectually, but 
now we die. The obstructions you then made 

* This was spoken to the English, who were about removiag from 
Albany. 



108 

now ruin us. Let us after this be steady, and 
take no such false measures for the future, but 
prosecute the war vigorously. (Giving a beaver 
skin.) 

"The brethren must keep good watch, and if 
the enemy come again, send more speedily to us. 
Don't desert Schenectady. The enemy will glory 
in seeing it desolate. It will give them courage 
that had none before. Fortify the place ; it is not 
w ell fortified now : The stockadoes are too short ; 
the Indians can jump over them. (Gave a beaver 
skin.) 

" Brethren, 

" The inischief done at Schenectady cannot be 
helped now ; but for the future, when the enemy 
appears any where, let nothing hinder your sending 
to us by expresses, and fire great guns, that all may 
be alarmed. We advise you to bring all the Ri- 
ver Indians under your subjection to live near Al- 
bany, to be ready on all occasions. 

" Send to New-England ; tell them what has hap^ 
pened to you. They will undoubtedly awake, and 
lend us their helping hand. It is their interest, as 
much as ours, to push the war to a speedy conclu- 
sion. Be not discouraged ; the French are not so 
numerous as some people talk. If we but heartily 
unite to push on the war, and mind our business, 
the French will soon be subdued." 

The magistrates having returned an answer on 
the twenty-seventh, to the satisfaction of the In- 
dians, they repeated it all over, word by word, to 
let the magistrates see how carefully they minded, 
and then added, 

" Brethren, 

" We are glad to find you are not discouraged. 
The best and wisest men sometimes make mistakes. 



109 

Let us now pursue the war vigorously. We have 
a liundred men out ; ttiey are good scouts. AVe ex- 
pect to meet all the sachems of the other nations, 
as they come to condole with you. You need not 
fear our being read}^ at tlie first notice. Our ax is 
always in our hands; but take care that you be 
timely ready. Your ships, that must do the prin- 
cipal work, are long a fitting out. AVe do not de- 
sign to go out with a small company, or in skulking 
parties ; but as soon as the nations can meet, we 
j-hall be ready witli our whole force. If you would 
bring this war to a happy issue, you must begin 
soon, before the French can recover the losses they 
have received from us, and get new vigour and life, 
therefore send in all haste to New-England. Nei- 
ther you nor we can continue long in the condition 
we are now in: we must order matters so that the 
French be kept in continual fear and alarm at 
home ; for this is the only way to be secure, and in 
peace here. 

" The Scatikok Indians, in our opinion, are well 
placed where they are (to the northward of Alba- 
ny ;) they are a good out-guard ; they are our chil- 
dren, and we must take care that they do their duty : 
but you must take care of the Indians below the 
town ; place them near the town^ so as they may be 
of more service to you." 



[ la :i 



APPENDIX, No. in 



Suh.^Uuirc of the Speech of Good Piter to Governor 
Clinton and the Commissioners of Indian Aljairs, 
at Albany, on the occasion referred to in the dis- 
course, 

Brotih-h OLneinor of ilie State of New-York, 
and all the other o;ieat ehiefs of the state of New- 
\ OIK, open your ears, and all you chieis oi the 
Five Nations here assembled, open your ears. 

The business we have now met about is of the 
greatest importance : how happy must we all be if 
we can arrange it for our mutual good. 

^^ e hare this day assembled, and smoked our 
pipes in peace. That you may know the reason of 
my addressing you, I woidd inform you that my 
brethren, the Cayugas, and my children, the Sene- 
cas, requested me to be their mouth on this solemn 
occasion, and understanding that it is agreeable to 
the great chief of New-York, I now stand here. 
You will possess your minds in peace, for I have 
no disposition to oppose you in any respect, but 
shall move forward in the stiait path*. 

Brother Chief, 

In the fijt'st place, I would inform you, that last 
sprhig we were invited to a treaty at' Muskingum 
— where your voice also called upon us lo attend — 
some of our nation went there, and hare not yet 
returned. 

^A lien om- uncles, the chiefs, left our council fire, 
their only business at iMuskiiigum, was the estab- 




Ill 



lile to IK i g €■« 
aw(febiai^i«iBllK«alii,aiHi iIh^ 

iwace, tfee ■nds «f oar j>iiiBC. _ 

Tfeit jETCTt dnrf I <iBlf ^fcsa^er to-^ilie* *<e w:ij 

r^joi Ifce ?«JOl3i feefm t» nee ; «e asnn 3C» ^k «f- 
^li^care <3C tbe ^m z hot ie 3000 ve -^ a?w^ it, ik 

tTH ^R» OUBBMBKEII MS w«»_», WUfL III ^ ■■ j^ i^c ^r 

~ " of oar tenifefw^. 




aid mw2i^pd cswr iBeare. yet 40 mat ai^^aee tfa* iflie 

~ !ii!yaeiat tt» clwawii His cjKJiif ; 

w teS et td it to ^ X *>iod 

,e gresit ciwiiicil <»f the gtotey awi we 

booM mt iqiiiv aarseiTcs Iv* 

new to TB5. tor wE^ei befoc« bad tie Fiv^ yada^ 

- - — -- rf mv falVthllSB of tfcib 

T. -7- - ji d ^ -- 7^ "~*~ '^^rdi. anf 5faiie 

caanoc see but : -i isi** ^"^ac stoat oc ]i&bb» 



j^ioa: vtHidkewr^ w? v^m 



112 

h also directed us to send it on to the oilier iiatioiis, 
which we did. At the council fire at Fort Stanwix, 
but one nation, the Onondagas, attended ; there \va« 
a stranoe bird that flew about your voice, and re- 
lated strange stories. This bird kept flying al)out 
while you held this council fire. After your pa- 
tience had been exhausted in waiting several days, 
you then determined to take us, one by one, as we 
came to the council fire ; and with this we were 
content. 

When you had finished with the Onondagas, you 
then sliowed the agreement to us, the Oneidas, point- 
ed out the true path, and opened our eyes. We 
then comprehended your sentiments as they were 
laid before us. You raised us from sinking into an 
unfathomable gulph, and placed us on a high moun- 
tain ; you erected a fortification around us, so that 
no evil spirits, or strange birds, could fly over and 
disturb us; you completed an agreement to our 
mutual satisfaction : it is firm and unalterable ; no 
evil spirit shall he able to erase the lines. We are 
now fixed, and dwell in peace. 

I need not enlarge upon the council, at Fort Stan- 
wix, anil the proceedings at that place. You re- 
member you saw a few Senecas there. You wel- 
comed them, although they were neither invited, 
nor sachems, but litlle children; they then told 
you with what difficulty they leaped over the 
mound at Canasake. 

You also remember, that when those Senec;t 
young men left you, you gave them good advice. 
As your patience was not yet exhausted, and your 
love for the Five Nations continued in full force, 
you invited the Senecas, through them, to meet you 
at Albany this winter, to consult upon subjects con- 
nected with their welfare. You also requested their 
attendance from the remotest parts of the nation. 
1 hey again heard your voice : you opened their 



113 

eyes ; and it pierced them to the heart to see their 
territory sinking, and that by and by the wariiors 
would not be at liberty to hunt upon their land, and 
to provide for their women and children. 

Soon after this, the headmen and warriors delibe- 
rated on our message, and determined that it would 
be for the good of the Five Nations, and prevent 
our utter destruction, to repair to this place. Al- 
though some of our sachems have not returned 
from the southward, yet we are persuaded that our 
deliberations and proceedings will meet their ap- 
probation. 

After frequent conferences with our brethren, the 
Senecas, we determined to repair to this ancient 
council fire ; we thought it agreeable to ancient 
usage to take with us two brothers of the Ononda- 
gas and Oneidas, as witnesses, to this place, where 
our ancestors kindled their council fires ; the smoke 
of which reached the heavens, and round which 
they sat and talked of peace. I observed at first, 
that I should only touch upon one event after an- 
other. But need I call your attention to the coun- 
cils and treaties held here by your and our forefa- 
thers. They then had but one head and one heart ; 
the chain of friendship was made of silver, so that it 
could not rust. Our ancestors, you know, frequent- 
ly met to brighten this chain, with a design to see 
whether any evil spirit that disturbs the peace ©f 
brethren, shook it or sat upon it. 

But I must leave this pleasant subject, the paths 
of our ancestors. You have seen some of our 
brethren of the Five Nations, the Cayugas ; you 
have opened your mind, and encouraged us to bie- 
lieve that you can save our sinking country ; and 
that if any of your people have overleaped the 
bounds prescribed, you can erase the lines. This 
has given us great encouragement and universal 
pleasure. 



114 

Brother Governor, 

The Caju^as and Senecas, here present, thank 
you from the bottom of our hearts, that you have 
communicated freely with us. When we heard 
your first and second voice we were glad ; but now 
we are quite rejoiced. It convinces us that vou 
remembered and cherished the treaties between 
you and our forefathers. The great spirit gave our 
ancestors and us this island ; and we know that you 
are anxious to promote his design, that we should 
have a place whereon to live. We love our coun- 
try, and our fathers loved their country. 

We said we were glad to meet you and hear 
your voice, and to feel assured that you are aljle to 
save our sinking territory ; we uow put it all under 
your power ; put your hands over the whole, re= 
serving to us such a dish as you shall prescribe for 
us. This is perfectly agreeable to the usages of our 
ancestors, who loved peace, and loved their land ; 
and why ? because they loved their women and 
their children ; and while they loved peace and 
their land, they enjoyed happy* days. 

We repeat that we rejoice in this meeting, and 
in these proceedings. Those we have left behind, 
and those that will return from the south, will also 
rejoice at the result of our conferences. Our little 
ones can now look with pleasure for fish in the 
streams, and our warriors can hunt for wild beasts 
in the woods, and feel confident that they will not 
be driven from their country. (A string of black 
w ampum with six rows.) 

Brother, 

I have repeatedly said, that I was glad to hear 
your mind ; your words have sunk deep into my 
heart, and have raised up my land and country, that 
were about to sink. I entreat you, by this string, 
to keep firm to your word, and to reach out your 



115 

hand over my country. Our dish we will reserve. 
This transaction will rejoice, not only our absent 
friends, but our children's children, to the latest 
generation. They will declare with joy, that Aqui- 
landa,* the governor of New York, has rescued 
their country from destruction. (A string of Avhite 
wampum with six rows.) 

You have heard our voice ; we now entreat you 
to open your ears, and hear a speech from our 
sisters, the governesses. 

Brother, 

Our ancestors considered it a great offence to 
reject the counsels of their women, particularly of 
the female governesses. They were esteemed the 
mistresses of the soil- Who, said our forefathers, 
bring us into being — Who cultivate our lands, 
kindle our fires, and boil our pots, but the women ? 

Our women say, that they are apprehensive their 
uncles have lost the power of hunting, as they were 
about destroying their country ; but they take this 
opportunity of thanking you for preventing their 
fall down the precipice, to which their uncles had 
brought them. 

They entreat that the veneration of their ances- 
tors, in favour of w omen, be not disregarded, a«nd 
that they may not be despised : the great spirit is 
their maker. 

The female governesses beg leave to speak, with 
that freedom allowed to women, and agreeable to 
the spirit of our ancestors, ^i'hey entreat the great 
chief to put fortli his strength, and preserve them 
in peace ; for they are the life of the nation ; your 
power cannot be disputed. Those that disturb 
them are your subjects, and you can punish them. 

* Ad ladian pame gi,ven to Governor CHoton, which sigoifies 
rhing sun. 



126 

They rejoice, that while their counsellors are set- 
tling a peace at Muskingum, and you are here la- 
bouring for their good, tranquillity will be spread 
over the whole country. (Six strings of wampum.) 

Then Good Peter added. 

Brother, 

Possess your mind in peace. You are sensible 
that in affairs of importance, omissions may be 
made, and that a person is allowed afterward to 
correct them. 

You have greatly encouraged us, by promising 
to watch over our peace, and to provide for our 
welfare. It is probable, that when we have com- 
pleted our business here, some bad men may break 
over the fence you have set around us. There are, 
excuse us brother, some bad men among the white 
people of this island; they may not hear your 
voice as far as our country : we therefore propose 
that Peter Ryckman, our child, may live among us 
in your behalf, look at our affairs, and watch over 
our interests. 

You have now heard our minds, and the resolu- 
tions we had formed before we left our country. 
I only act here as an agent, by the request of my 
brothers, the Cayugas, and I am now released from 
my engagements. 



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